Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper
by TheShadowPanther
Summary: COMPLETE! Five years after the events of “Immortal Saiyan Z Fighter,” Kakkhan, now known as Kakkhanadorisainkai, is gradually forced to face his destiny. Final fic in the Kakkhan Trilogy
1. Prologue: Summoned

**Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper **

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha!

A/n: A reader has notified me that the purpose of the italics are a little confusing, so here's the legend:

_Italics_: a) Non-Demon Dimension Situation (i.e. Kakkhan's not in the Demon Dimension)

b) Other situations which are hopefully clearer as they come up. If they're not, send me an email and I'll correct it for you

Thanks, for the email!

:-:-:-:

Previously, on **Kakkhan: Immortal Saiyan Z-fighter**—

_The Legendary Lord had renounced his right to live in his home dimension—where he would live now was uncertain, but very likely it would be here. If so, if the Legend would allow them, they would help. They would help even if he didn't want them to help. That was the way they were, the way they would always be._

_He began to tell InuYasha what he knew._

:-:-:-:

Prologue: Summoned

_Clad in the dramatic uniform of his "army," the tall humanoid appeared statue-like and cold. His glittering eyes betrayed nothing, his raised arm did not quiver, and the blade stretched out in his hand evinced no movement. Nonetheless, in a perfect semi-circle around him, lay the bodies of dozens of his brightly-clothed enemies, most separated from their heads or bearing gut slices. One special corpse had a slash from one shoulder down to the opposite-sided hip. This corpse, with dull bronze hair and apple-green eyes, had been known as Lelex Rex, future King of the Fay, and he had been killed only minutes earlier. _

_As the realization of the king's death sunk in, there were precious moments of silence. Then a roar arose from the warriors garbed as dramatically as the humanoid, a tsunami of sound rushing toward the killer of Lelex Rex in much the same way as the originators did. The killer suddenly lowered his weapon, never removing his eyes from their path into space, and relaxed. Then his "army" swarmed up to him, yelling, and past him to their sworn rivals, who stood stock still and disbelieving. One of the warriors, named H'dan, paused, eyed the humanoid warily. _

"What,"_ he said brusquely, abruptly, _"will you do now, with your mission complete?" _From the halting nature of his words, it was clear Universal was not his usual language._

_The addressee of the question seemed to understand well enough. _"My mission, as you say, is not 'complete',"_ he answered. _"For the moment, however, I shall stay within range of communication."

"Hmm,"_ H'dan replied, still appearing distrustful._ "As long as you show up as you're supposed to, I'll not consider your whereabouts as my business."_ The Druid hefted his halberd._ "In the meantime, I've a battle to be fought."_ He turned and charged away, yodeling his own famous war cry; the humanoid closed his eyes, as if in farewell. _

_He breathed once, let it out again._ Noises quite unlike the shouting of the battlefield found their way to his ears; quiet murmuring so like the sea, beeps and clicks whirring in musical communication, a _ping_ announcing his arrival, and a tramp of hurrying feet—

'_Thank the Lady you're here, Legendary Lord,'_ a voice burst out in the vicinity of his left shoulder. The Legendary Lord, as he was called, opened his onyx-black eyes and found the interlocutor with them. While he turned his head, the speaker hastened on with her sentence. _'You're being Summoned.'_

The Legend lifted his eyes a little, looking over the speaker's head, then nodded. _'So I am.'_ He straightened, released the weapon in his hand (which promptly disappeared), and glanced at the circular disc gradually dimming behind him.

'_Shall we see what the Lady wants us to do with Sanyuusuketorikuma?" _He turned back and inclined his head to the intern, who saluted him, smiling whole-heartedly with relief. Without bothering to change out of the blood-spattered cowskin overcoat he still wore, he raised two fingers in a return salute—

—and the intern saw only the bright red and darker purple swirls of the darkened portal. The messenger smiled again, briefly, then whirled and rushed back whence she came.

:-:-:-:

_The room he entered was of familiar design. It consisted of only four walls, a monochromatic color scheme, and posters all over. Earthling, then, and Human enough. _

_He turned at a dry squawk and tipped his head to the originator. _I greet you, Sanyuusuketorikuma, _he murmured silently. The uniformly scarlet eyes of the bird akuma he saluted blinked once in an uncomfortable glare, then softened marginally. _

Kakkhanadorisainkai, _Sanyuu cawed, his own words noiseless, heard only in the plane between sleep and awakening. _To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?

I have a favor to ask of you, _he hissed in response. _A favor concerning your Human familiar.

_The bird visibly stiffened, Its short forked tail beginning to twitch wildly. _What would this favor consist of? _It asked, composed at least in Its voice._

You know very well what it consists of and why it must be done. Now let me do it, _he responded calmly. _It does your familiar no good when you cluck over her like a mother hen.

_He withstood the resulting glare of the akuma readily enough. Sanyuu then shifted uncomfortably, reflecting as much the discomfort of Its familiar behind It as Its own. _

If I allow thee to do this, would the debt I owe thee be liquefied? _It asked suddenly. He spared only a moment of remembrance before answering brusquely:_

It shall be so.

_Another moment more passed, in which the only sounds either the akuma or the humanoid heard were the small whimpers of distress the Earthling in the small bed emitted and the rustle of sheets as the Human tossed about fitfully. _

Very well, _Sanyuu finally said, Its eyes beadily glaring. _I shall let thee pass, but I warn thee, do not harm my familiar.

My thanks, Sanyuusuke, _he acknowledged. Moving forward quietly, he approached the bed and its occupant. The Human seemed somewhat familiar to him, with her midnight purple hair falling from her forehead uncaringly to her pillow, a small nose and an angular jaw. He didn't know her name, hadn't gotten it that night he accompanied Sanyuu to Earth, but he did remember seeing her as broken then as she seemed now. _

_She rolled over as he reached her bed, leaving enough room for him to sit down. His presence seemed to cause the Human as much uneasiness this time around as his first visit; in sleep, however, she could only try to shrink from a nightmare rather than a conscious phobia. This alone helped the Legendary Lord to bend his knees, perch on the edge of the low-set mattress, and lean forward. He ignored the akuma's warning caw when he reached out a hand to place on the Human's exposed forehead. To his immense concern, the skin underneath his hand was far too cold and clammy to believe she was still alive. But she was breathing, heavily in fact, and able to move and make sound. _

_Another bit of memory floated to him when he pondered what he could do to ease the nightmare. He Knew that he had to calm this ki breaker down and send her into proper rhythms of sleep, or she would never go where she needed to. That was it: She was a ki breaker, and yet she had barely any ki inside of her, other than the skeletal minimum needed to live. Frowning at this folly, he closed his eyes and concentrated. _

_The bird akuma watched as Its Human jerked wildly under the impassive-looking Legend's touch, then abruptly inhaled deeply and relaxed. Sanyuu allowed Its shoulders to slump in relief as It felt the flow of ki begin from the Legend to Its ki breaker; the tension It'd held within eased as the girl calmed._

_Meanwhile, the Legendary Lord had, after closing his eyes, discovered himself to be in some kind of open plain, in which there was only one tree, and he stood next to it. Looking out into the far distance, he could see something shining, even vaguely recognized it as something he'd himself seen before. _

_But, he saw, there was an obstacle in the way of reaching the shining. Blue-colored space hovered between the plain and the something, creating an island with the tree at the right-and-center of it. Even as he looked closer, the blue ate away at the island, little by little encroaching on the grass, animals, and dirt the island consisted of. _

_But he was not here only to examine the island. He looked up at hearing indistinct cries and stumbling footsteps. The Human whose dream he'd just entered was panting as heavily as she did in the conscious world, and crying fiercely as she ran. Behind her, a monstrous and abstract form chased her, sending forth keening roars with every centimeter it gained upon the Human. The form was slowing, however, the closer both it and the Human came to the lone tree; finally, the form seemed to hit a barrier and had to stop, growling, at the very boundary of the tree's shade. _

_The Human, who didn't seem to know the monster had stopped, continued to run. As a result, she smacked full length into the Legendary Lord, who instinctively grasped her shoulders to hold her steady. He drew in a sharp breath as instantly his ki violently burst out from him to spiral wildly into the girl he held. Immediately comprehending what he had to do, he captured the Human in a tighter embrace—but not too tight—ignoring the struggle the girl put up against him. _

_'Don't!' she cried, pushing against his chest even as her ki breaking continued to plunder his ki center. 'Don't give your ki to me!' He ignored her effortlessly; clearly, this girl—young woman, he corrected, she was his age—did not see the damage that she was doing to herself by trying to suppress her ki breaking. She did not guess that because of her efforts, she had nightmares where an abstract form chased her, wailing loudly—in a plea for ki. _

_He looked up, still disregarding the Human continually crying __'Don't! Don't!'__ in his arms, and watched dispassionately as the very abstract form he thought of began to quiet, then slowly shrink in size. It shrank until it was the size of an Earthling penguin, then it shook itself all over and began to preen. Satisfied that this matter was dealt with, he returned his ebony stare to the sobbing Human lying limp against him. Loosening his clasp gradually, he made sure the Human could stand on her own before he placed his fingers under her chin and directed her gaze towards him. He glanced for a moment into the fathomless depths of that grey stare until she, hiccoughing, finally focused on him._

_When he was sure he had the Human's attention, he told her simply, __'Find me.'_

_The Human's grey eyes widened; he allowed his arms to fall away completely. He nodded to himself in approval when the young woman didn't fall over, then shifted to move by her. The girl's eyes never left his form, even when they saw that the island she occupied was no longer an island—the blue space was gone. _

_In its place the rest of the meadow grew busily around a wide flagstone path—made by the tall man's footsteps. The young man made his way towards the shining _something _so far away—but it was so close now. It was so close, in fact, the man would reach it in only five steps. _

_The Legendary Lord heard a soft cry behind him, but did not turn around or even stop. Instead he raised his head and barked a rusty howl into the dream. He did not intend for the Human to understand it; the message he had was for her akuma familiar alone. He Knew Sanyuusuke heard it and understood, even though he heard nothing; he Knew as well that Sanyuusuke would not see his message in the same way he did. _

_Lowering his head, the man known as Kakkhanadorisainkai, the Legendary Lord, stepped into the shining City of the Demons._

Its Human bolted upright, her breath coming in short bursts. It was glad to see her fully cognizant of her surroundings at last, her gaze roving wildly over every possession she owned before ensnaring him.

"Akihito!" she gasped. "Did you see—?"

'_Nay, milady,'_ It interrupted, flapping its film-covered wings irritably. _'I saw naught what troubled thee.'_

"But I'm not asking for that," she in turn cut in. "This time I saw a man—" She sighed in defeat upon seeing the akuma's blank eyes. "You can't tell me, can you?"

'_Nay,' _Sanyuusuke cawed softly. _'Thee must find out in thy own way who he is and, more importantly, what his significance is to thee.'_

"He gave me so much ki," she whispered, blinking a strand of midnight purple hair out of her eyes. "Yet he didn't die."

'_That was his purpose in coming here, milady. I may tell thee that much.' _The bird akuma, judging that the danger was over for this night, hopped closer to Its familiar.

'_Forgive me for my inability to aid thee tonight, milady.'_ Saying this, It sidled slowly into the Human's lap and blinked Its scarlet eyes solemnly at the lap's owner, who looked startled. _'I did not do my part correctly, and for this, Fate needed to step in.' _

"It was Fate that sent him to me?" The girl asked, her akuma's presence in her lap calming her. Automatically she petted him, sifting her fingers expertly through Its feathers in a soothing preen. Not so inadvertently, Sanyuu chirped happily, causing a smile to light up Its familiar's face.

Happy that Its familiar appeared to have been restored in spirits, Sanyuu nevertheless felt Its heart ache. Here started the period of time in which It could no longer aid Its familiar. This era had begun already, but the truth of this had not been readily apparent until the arrival of the Legendary Lord. The Lady had decided that it was time to set Her Wheel in motion, and it seemed It would be left behind in the process.

It thought to the message the Legendary Lord had left It. _'Consider the debt you owe me dissolved. Do not worry about it anymore, bird akuma.' _But I cannot consider it so, It mentally responded. Thee have instead done a greater favor for me than before.

Its ache increased when It heard Its familiar murmur quietly, "He said to find him. But how? Do I really want to? And..."

In pretence, It irritably butted the limp hand of Its familiar. The Human didn't stir after such an action, but her fingers did move again.

"Why?"

:-:-:-:

Why was the very question that Kakkhanadorisainkai himself was asking. Why had the Lady sent him specifically to the Human Ki Breaker when any other Keeper would have been fine? All of them had sufficient ki to supply a ki breaker with, even one starving herself. Most Keepers could walk their way into a dream like he had. Some Keepers knew planet Earth even better than he did now. So why him?

It was not the best thing to do, to question the Lady's decisions, but the Legendary Lord was not always concerned with the best thing. He wondered what his connection to the Human was, for surely the Lady would not have bothered him with such a—well, maybe not trivial—_simple_ task without reason.

He finally lifted one shoulder in a shrug. The Lady had her reasons. He was only going to give himself a headache and suffer much humiliation at the Lady's amusement if he tried to confront Her with it. He spoke from personal experience, unfortunately.

He turned his head to greet Inuyashanukuma, or InuYasha, or simply Inu to most. It was a ritual for them now for the dog akuma to wait for the Legend to return from his Keeper duties and to accompany the Immortal to his next destination.

'_Hello, Inu,' _he started. Inu growled in return. _'You stink of bird akuma,' _It accused._ 'The Lady sent you to Sanyuusuketorikuma?' _

'_Yes,' _the Legend responded patiently. _'Apparently Its familiar is having a ki breaking disorder.' _

'_What?' _Inu laughed. _'How can…' _It trailed off at the steady look Kakkhanadorisainkai gave It. _'Why would that be?' _It instead asked patiently.

'_You know how frail Humans are,' _the Legend said simply. Inu shook Its head and fell into step with the Legend.

'_Speaking of Humans,'_ Inu began as they set out towards the center of the City, _'the Death Bringer tells me that _you_ have been thinking of ret—'_

'_No, I haven't,'_ Kakkhanadorisainkai interrupted. _'Yoki is lying to you. I keep telling you never to believe a word of what he says.'_

'_But he was (censored) serious,'_ Inu asserted. Kakkhanadorisainkai stopped and faced the dog akuma. Inu nowadays only swore when he wanted to make a point—and he usually made valid points after swearing worse than an Earthling sailor. But Kakkhanadorisainkai did not want to hear this.

'_Yoki was _lying,_' _the Legend insisted. _'The Death Bringer is perfectly capable of teasing you seriously. You should know this.' _

'_Kakkhanadori.' _Ergh, there Inu went again, acting uncharacteristically in order to direct attention to a serious matter. _'"__E was _not _lying.' _

'_Fine,' _the Legend snapped. He turned around and started marching again, ignoring the click of paws as the dangerous-appearing Inu paced unhurriedly after him. _'Yoki may not have been lying, but I'm not ready to talk about this.' _

'_I know,' _Inu called behind him. _'Why else would ya be (censored) avoiding the issue?'_

'_(Censored) you, Inuyashanukuma,' _the Legend cursed. He made no effort to escape from the dog akuma; it was pointless. The demon would just appear wherever he had holed himself up and nag constantly until he exploded and came out with whatever was bothering him. Inu was extremely good at matters like that.

'_I try, Legendary Lord,' _Inu snickered. _'The Demon Gods know I try.' _The Immortal let out a breath of exasperation, but allowed the dog akuma to catch up with him. They paced silently step by step in perfect unison the rest of the way to the City's heart, the bazaar of sorts that surrounded it and the Tower that looked domineeringly over it all.

There Inu would leave the Legend, silently ruminating, to the three City Inhabitants who called themselves his friends.

:-:-:-:

See Chapter Sixteen of **Kakkhan: Immortal Saiyan Z-fighter **for the details of the first encounter between the Legendary Lord and Sanyuusuketorikuma—known then only as Sanyuu. This is in case you don't remember—and you probably don't. That's perfectly all right.

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A/n: Are you guys confused yet? Heeheehee….

Also, Lelex is the name of a character in Ovid's _Metamorphoses_, in the tale of Baucis and Philemon, to be precise.

:-:-:-:

SNEAK PREVIEW OF: Arrival

Yoki set down the rag and stroked his chin thoughtfully. _'It sounds like life is about to become very lively around here,'_ he said. His strange eyes glinted. _'It's about time, in my opinion.'_

:-:-:-:

Thanks to **lpgohanfanatic**, **Lov3the3vil**, and **supersaiyaman **for reviewing the last chapter of **Kakkhan: Immortal Saiyan Z-fighter**. We're on the last one! I can't believe it! (Squeals) It's been a long time…. I hope you guys stay with me and enjoy the ride.

In about a week, I will be heading off to college. Since I have no idea if I will be able to update this fic, much less write it, for the first month or so at college, I decided (after PMing **lpgohanfanatic** twice) to just post this prologue so you, the readers, could read _something_ Kakkhan, and I could ease my heart at leaving you guys hanging. So enjoy this chapter, hope for a quick update, and I'll see you whenever. While you wait, in fact, why don't you go ahead and review for me? I may just update next week before I leave! Who knows? (Shrugs)

With that, I'm off. Bye!

**TheShadowPanther **and Allati, from **AASN**

**AASN;** Writing is what we do for you at **AASN**. Enjoy.

_Edited and Replaced 07.29.08_


	2. Chapter One: Arrival

**Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper**

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha!

Chapter One: Arrival

Kakkhanadorisainkai, joined by Tenna Athenike, Ilowe, and Hodaia the Illusionist, raised his head towards the Tower. The particular resonance associated with the welcome of a newcomer to the Demon Dimension radiated outward from it. Many loud voices rang out in surprise and welcome; it wasn't often that the Dimension received new residents, so any new person was eagerly welcomed and hopefully made to feel at home rather quickly.

Within a ten kilometer radius of the Tower, everyone received a general impression of what the newcomer seemed like. Instantly Kakkhanadori noted that the stranger's dominant emotion was a combination of fear, desperation, and resignation—a package someone about to commit suicide usually had. He paid closer attention to the young woman's features then, noting her square jaw and her large triangle of a nose in addition to her shoulder length ebon hair and black eyes.

The impression faded just as he was memorizing the distinct circle of moles on her temple. As if released from a spell, the four people at the circular table sat in a daze; then Tenna Athenike turned to the Illusionist.

'_Looks like I'll be getting that roommate after all, Daia,'_ she said teasingly, her khaki eyes gaining an extra light. "Daia" flicked her impossibly light eyes towards the teaser, but did nothing other than that. Tenna laughed gaily anyway, as though Daia had reacted exactly as she had expected. Ilowe joined in on the laughter, his white teeth standing sharply in contrast to his extremely dark skin, his stubby hands slapping the circular table in his mirth. Kakkhanadori, on the other hand, ignored them all.

Instead he rose and strode swiftly away, merging soundlessly into the stream of conscious beings that inhabited the City. Tenna didn't actually Know yet if the newcomer would be her roommate or not, but it was likely, since Tenna both lived conveniently close to the High Market and she had room for another person within her flat. The fact that she'd been petitioning the Demon Gods for a roommate for years didn't hurt her chances of getting the new Ki Breaker; the Demon Gods might just accept her petition with this newcomer just to get her off Their backs.

Kakkhanadori cracked a slight smile at that thought.

On his way through the High Market, he greeted Vendors that weren't too busy, who saluted him in ways accustomed to them. He paused long enough to speak to Tapheth, the weapons Vendor, and thank him for letting him borrow the sword he used to kill the future King of the Fay, Lelex Rex.

'_I would likely need to borrow it again,'_ Kakkhanadori said to the amiable face of the Vendor, _'if my other sword does not recover by the next mission.'_

Tapheth only nodded, understanding suffusing his features. It was part of why Kakkhanadori liked him so much: He didn't pry too much into the whys and reasons of his customers. He only asked the basic necessary questions such as _'You know it's not to be put only on display, don't you?'_ and _'You know how to use a weapon like this?' _He was a very unassuming character, contrary to the three people Kakkhanadori spent the most time with.

Kakkhanadori saluted the Vendor and continued on his way behind the stall to the Basilica Vitae. Another psychedelic swirl of a portal appeared in front of him, which he stepped into without any hesitation or any other acknowledgement of its presence.

He strode forward onto the black-and-white tiled floor he saw and stopped. Behind him sounded the _whoosh_ of the portal as it disappeared; he bowed his head as he waited for the chamber's occupant to acknowledge him.

'_Yes, Immortal?'_ the rough voice of Lord Destiny resounded in his ears, bouncing off of the tile and the walls in that particular trick He liked. Kakkhanadori remained unmoved.

'_My Lord,'_ he started, remaining still with his head bowed, _'I wish to inquire after the newcomer just arrived at the tower. May I do so?'_

'_Yes,'_ Destiny's voice informed him, still rolling like thunder despite the appearance of His actual form on His throne. When next He spoke, however, He did so much more normally: _'Though you already know the answer to your question.'_

Kakkhanadori inclined his head, but made no other answer to this statement. _'My Lord,'_ he began, refusing to look up at the lounging form high above him. _'Is it the girl's destiny to kill herself?'_

'_No,'_ Destiny responded, confirming Kakkhanadori's hunch. _'But there is more to the Lady Ki Breaker than even you know.'_ A bony hand inserted itself under Kakkhanadori's chin to lift it. Destiny's face was raw-boned and sharp; His eyes were narrow in addition to their yellow color, lending their owner a perpetual look of smug cruelty. His wicked smirk did nothing to dissipate Kakkhanadori's first impression. _'As there is more to you than even _you_ know,' _He said, His smirk widening.

'_Yes, my Lord,'_ Kakkhanadori only said, diverting his eyes away from the Deity's. Destiny abruptly released him, leaving him to recover from the loss of his chin's support, and alighted again upon His throne.

'_Dismissed, Immortal,'_ the Deity said languidly, carelessly waving a hand at him.

'_Yes, my Lord,' _Kakkhanadori repeated, adding a bow to his deference. Turning about swiftly, he was as unsurprised as before to see the glowing portal waiting for him. He stepped into it, closed his eyes, and waited.

'_My Immortal,'_ the Lady's voice greeted him. Kakkhanadori bowed to Her as deferentially as to Lord Destiny, but She chuckled lightly and waved him off. _'Come now, no need to be so formal outside of my shrine. I was just leaving, Yoki needed to be scolded again.' _

'_I am not surprised, my Lady,' _Kakkhanadori answered. _'I only wonder at your not summoning him to You instead.'_

'_Even a Deity needs to exercise occasionally, my Immortal,'_ the Lady said. Kakkhanadori bowed his head at the mildly reproving tone in Her voice, but the Lady was not truly angry.

'_I see you have visited Lord Destiny,' _She said instead, Her hand on his shoulder was sympathetic. _'You always seem to be frustrated after visiting with Him.'_

'_Frustrated is not the term I would use, my Lady,'_ Kakkhanadori replied, keeping his eyes diverted. The Lady laughed, Her amusement unmuffled despite Her veil, and patted his shoulder. She disappeared in the next instant; Kakkhanadori's portal glowed brightly while it shrank.

'_Yeah? What did Destiny want?' _the brazen voice of the Grim Reaper called. The Ender of All Souls himself came into view a second later, carrying his half-polished scythe in one hand and an especially bloodstained rag in the other. The Horseman grinned when he noticed Kakkhanadori's raised eyebrow.

'_Got a little bored,'_ was all he said, still grinning sadistically. Kakkhanadori rolled his eyes but did not otherwise comment.

Instead he said, putting his hands in his pockets, _'Destiny was talkative today. I was asking Him a question about the Dimension's newest Resident—I assume you also saw the impression from the Tower?'_

He waited for Yoki's nod of assent before continuing. _'Well, not only did Lord Destiny directly answer the question,' _he nodded at Yoki's whistle of amazement, _'But he also told me that there was more to her than I knew, just as there was more to me than even I knew. Now what does that sound like to you?' _

Yoki set down the rag and stroked his chin thoughtfully. _'It sounds like life is about to become very lively around here,'_ he said. His strange eyes glinted. _'It's about time, in my opinion.'_

'_I thought that was what you were going to say,'_ Kakkhanadori snorted. _'Anyway,'_ he started, drawing back his sleeve to check the slim band encircling his wrist. _'I just wanted to tell you that, so you and your fellow _colleagues_ could sufficiently prepare for the days ahead.'_

Yoki gasped dramatically. _'Are you saying that you actually care for us? Why, Legendary Lord, I do believe you're slipping! Either that, or Destiny has shaken you up than you care to admit.'_

'_I deny either of those reasons, Grim Reaper,' _Kakkhanadori declared indifferently. He stepped away and opened another portal, only stopping to give Yoki a parting salute and his last words:

'_The fact that you even suggest them is evidence enough that you have __far__ too much time on your hands.'_

Yoki could be heard laughing all the way down to the lower reaches of the Basilica Vitae, where the Administrative offices, both private and public, were located.

Kakkhanadori himself didn't hear the laughter, though he probably would have known it happened if he had thought about it. The Legendary Lord had not the time to think about how entertained the Demon Rider was, however, needing instead to run an errand that he really should have done two days ago: grocery shopping. Though his appetite had greatly decreased since coming to the Demon Dimension, his refrigerator was still empty.

He felt like paying Kerbasi a visit today, instead of his usual haunts.

By the time the Legendary Lord had finished shopping at Kerbasi's Vending stall, it was long since time to set out for the daily gathering at the Himeno Tsuruki Café. Sighing at this necessity, Kakkhanadori turned and made his way across the High Market, through the Plaza (and around the terraced fountain in the middle), and by the news post before finally catching sight of the Café. He entered the only true shop in the High Market just in time to hear Tenna Athenike say:

'_And I don't know where the Legendary Lord went, but that's him for you. Always going off and doing his own thing without telling the rest of us—'_

Deciding to interrupt before Tenna got too far into her infamous (if infrequent) ranting mode, he knocked on their table and said:_ 'Tenna Athenike, you know very well that I'm always where I'm needed, whether or not that place is with you.' _

'_Oh, Kakkhanadori, there you are! I was wondering if you would show up,'_ Tenna chirped unrepentantly. Kakkhanadori snorted darkly, then noticed the stranger sitting at the table. Tenna followed his gaze and smiled again.

'_Yes, as I was saying,'_ she said, directing the Human's attention upwards from the table, _'I was going to wait until Kakkhanadori arrived before doing formal introductions. If you'd sit, Kakkhanadori?'_

He had to drag a chair from another table to obey Tenna's request (as the Lady Ki Breaker had taken his usual seat), but once he was settled, the introductions began.

'_I am Tenna Athenike, as you know, and I'm a Drake, a lesser Dragon. I have no title, but I work as a veterinarian at the Demonic Parks, the demon kennel and/or apartment complex.' _The Drake looked at Ilowe to continue.

Coughing nervously, Ilowe began. _'My name is Ilowe; I was born a Nightmare, but I don't work as one. I work with the Northwest Librarian at the Records Hall as a Linguist, which I suppose is also my title. Linguist, that is.'_ He cleared his throat again and fell silent.

With what appeared to be a roll of her eyes, Hodaia picked up the slack with a surprisingly light voice for her stocky form. _'I am known as Hodaia the Illusionist. I belong to the race of Kabarans, clan Sil. My occupation is that of Dimension Keeper, at the Basilica Officii.' _She nodded to the stranger respectfully.

Kakkhanadori, while the other three had been introducing themselves, had been inspecting the newly-arrived Lady Ki Breaker. She looked much like she had in that impression the Demon Gods had sent out: black, shoulder-length hair, black eyes, square jaw and large nose. But this time she didn't seem desperate or suicidal, just terribly unsure of herself and those around her. Whatever the Demon Gods had said to this Human up in that Tower seemed to have done a bit in helping her forget her problems, at least temporarily.

Or it could have been Tenna who did that. Her cheerfulness was annoyingly infectious, he hated to admit.

He sighed. _'Kakkhanadorisainkai, Legendary Lord, at your service. You may, if you wish, call me Kakkhanadori,' _he said, ignoring Tenna's pleased gasp. _'I am a Saiyan. Like Hodaia, I work at the Basilica Officii as a Dimension Keeper.' _

In Japanese, he added, "And like you, I was born on Earth, so when you have questions that Tenna cannot answer, please, direct them to me."

He gave the Human staring wide-eyed at him a short nod of his own. He'd said that not out of a desire to connect with the Lady Ki Breaker, but out of a desire to help her feel less alone in this strange, new world she'd come into. If she decided to take comfort in this knowledge he'd given her, so be it. If she wanted friendship from him, she'd have that, too, but only the same degree that Tenna, Ilowe, and Daia received.

So while the Lady Ki Breaker stuttered, while Tenna demanded to know what he'd said to her new roommate, Kakkhanadori drew out a notebook and a pen. He opened the book to a clean, unmarked page, smoothed it down, and began writing in it in Laniin, the only language he knew the other three—four, now—didn't.

Tenna, seeing this, rolled her eyes. _'There's no use talking to him now,'_ said she in exasperation. Turning instead to the Lady Ki Breaker, who had again turned her gaze to the table, Tenna smiled.

'_Your turn,'_ she said to the Human teasingly. _'Tell us all about yourself!'_

At this, Kakkhanadori stopped writing and paid attention. The Human swallowed under his and the other's gazes, but she spoke up anyway.

'_Um, I'm Watanabe Catherine, uh, sorry, um, Catherine Watanabe,'_ she corrected, blushing furiously. Tenna and Ilowe gave her encouraging smiles. _'I—I'm a Human, from planet Earth—'_ Tenna cast a surprised glance at Kakkhanadori, who nodded almost imperceptibly. _'I don't have an occupation yet, but, um, I was told that my title is Lady Ki Breaker.'_

'_Are you?'_ Hodaia asked, her eyes sharply assessing. Catherine looked, startled, at her; the Illusionist elaborated. _'Are you a Ki Breaker?'_

'_Oh. Um, yes.'_ Catherine squirmed. _'I—I don't really like being one, though.'_ She bowed her head again.

'_Hm,'_ said Hodaia only, sitting back in her chair. Tenna cast her a warning look, Kakkhanadori saw. Ilowe, on the other hand, was leaning forward a little.

'_Is that your real name and appearance?' _the dusky-skinned Nightmare asked. Catherine froze; Tenna smacked Ilowe on the shoulder.

'_You idiot! I can't believe you would ask that!'_ Ilowe attempted to defend himself, but Tenna went on. _'Didn't I tell you she was here for her own protection? Of _course_ she's not going to use her real name and appearance!'_ She huffed and shook her head.

'_Tenna, I know all that. Really!'_ he insisted at the glare the Drake shot him. _'I just wanted to know if she was using a glamour like me or if she had had that vlastik surgry—'_

'_Plastic surgery,'_ Kakkhanadori corrected absently, toying with his writing utensil thoughtfully.

'_That,'_ Ilowe said succinctly, waving his mistake off dismissively. _'That was all I wanted to ask!' _

'_You don't ask things like that of somebody, least of all a _female_!'_ Tenna screeched, highly displeased. _'That Northwest Librarian has obviously been a bad influence on you; I don't remember you ever being this rude or stupid before today!' _

'_Then obviously you haven't been paying any attention,'_ Hodaia remarked lightly. _'Ilowe's been rude and stupid from the very beginning.'_

'_I have not!'_ Ilowe fended off. _'And since when have _you_ started talking more than in grunts and gestures anyway?'_ he shot at the normally laconic Illusionist.

'_Since I have an opportunity to make a good impression on somebody _other_ than the simpering morons I usually come across on my missions,'_ Hodaia retorted. Ilowe was struck momentarily dumb; Tenna took this as an opportunity to tell Hodaia that it wasn't nice to insult other people if they didn't deserve it. Hodaia retorted that she wasn't insulting the beings she met on her missions, she was stating fact.

While they bickered and argued, Kakkhanadori turned to Catherine. _'While the circus over here plays,'_ he said, indicating the trio across from them, _'I have a question for you.'_

'_Oh,'_ exclaimed Catherine, looking startled. She clutched her arm closer to herself and looked down. _'Um, sure, go ahead.'_ Kakkhanadori nodded thanks.

'_Is it true that Ki Breakers have no stable ki center? And that's why they have to have a constant influx of ki?'_

Catherine blinked at him, having raised her head to look at him in her shock. Kakkhanadori returned her gaze gently, trying to tell her that he wasn't anyone to be afraid of. He was almost certain she _was_ afraid of him, though he didn't know _why_.

'_Uh, I don't know,'_ the Human answered, breaking their staring contest. _'I haven't really thought about why I need so much ki. Just getting it, I guess, was my first worry.'_

'_That makes sense,'_ Kakkhanadori commented. She knew that he held a lot of ki within him, he thought. Holding herself back from taking even a little bit had to be costing her a lot of energy herself.

With that in mind, he surreptitiously began establishing a link energetic in nature between them. To his non-surprise, he found traces of a link between them that had already existed temporarily—it had likely been created due to a massive transfer of ki, enough to completely fill the reserves of a starving Ki Breaker.

'_Well, then, before I miss my opportunity,'_ he said, mostly to distract Catherine from what he was doing, _'I would like to welcome you to the Demon Dimension.' _He motioned to the surroundings in the Café. _'As you can see,' _he continued, frowning inwardly in concentration, _'It's not all that different from Earth.' _He completed the reactivation of the link to his satisfaction. _'It just has a bit more variety in races,'_ he finished.

He saw Catherine smile weakly through the veil her hair had become. Nodding to himself, he sat back and started rewriting in his notebook. He had not forgotten the Laniin language, despite it being five years since he and Menrui (he still winced inwardly just thinking the name) had totally destroyed them. The language had served its purpose in those five years, even as it was now, protecting his words and thoughts from other's eyes with its very strangeness.

Finished with his entry, Kakkhanadori snapped the book shut. Tenna, Hodaia (who had retreated back into silence again), and Ilowe were broken out of their argument; Tenna asked, _'What? Aren't you going to stay?'_

'_No, I'm going home. I have to put this food away, or it'll spoil.'_ He indicated the boxes of groceries he'd bought from Kerbasi.

'_Oh, you finally went food shopping? Good,'_ Tenna asserted, smiling. _'You never like the food I get you when I shop for you.'_ Kakkhanadori looked at her askance while Ilowe said he wanted to see what shop Kakkhanadori had shopped at; the greens poking out from one of the boxes looked very interesting. Hodaia merely nodded goodbye, her rare moment of loquaciousness already over.

And Catherine Watanabe, the Lady Ki Breaker, did not lift her head again, thus doing him a "rude" disservice. Inwardly, he sighed; Watanabe-san was _definitely_ afraid of him. Outwardly he just nodded.

The City soon enough zoomed him away from the Himeno Tsuruki Café.

:-:-:-:

Kuma: bear

Catherine: pronounced here as "Cath-ther-REE-nay"; an attempt at Japanese pronunciation on my part. LOL.

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A/n: Whew! Have I been busy or have I been _busy_? College is way more time-consuming than I thought. No wonder so many fics are "abandoned" until college is over. Sheesh.

I've mostly settled in now, but I should warn you: Classes haven't started yet, so I have no idea what kind of workload I'm going to be handling for the next couple of months. I'll try and get in as much writing and updating time that I can, but don't hold your breath.

With that said, I hope you enjoyed!

:-:-:-:

SNEAK PREVIEW OF: Damaged

Grimacing, he held back the surge of his light core at that thought. Today just was not his day, he mused in exasperation as he forced the source of his light ki back to its dark cage. He distantly perceived Catherine's eyes widen, but he was too tired, too pained, and too plain _upset_ to much care.

:-:-:-:

Thanks to **lpgohanfanatic** and **supersaiyaman** for reviewing!

Ciao!

**TheShadowPanther **and Allati, from **AASN**

**AASN; **Writing is what we do for you at **AASN**. Enjoy.

_Updated 09.04.07_


	3. Chapter Two: Damaged

**Kakkhan: Immortal Saiyan Z-fighter**

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha!

Chapter Two: Damaged

_He strode with light feet through the brightly lit and brightly-decorated corridor towards his destination. He likely would have stood out as a giant did amongst Lilliputians had he not settled the itchy feeling of a glamour around his face. He now looked like any other guardsman of the Fay: A thin, swarthy face, lake-blue eyes, and feathered tips of the ears to add the truly exotic touch. He didn't have wings, but the Fay that guarded the High Councilor to the King, Philemon, didn't have wings either._

_The length of the corridor disappeared swiftly under the soles of his feet; the door he was supposed to safeguard in the place of the sentinel who'd mysteriously fallen ill a half-hour before, appeared. Nodding the traditional Fay salute to the guard on the other side, he settled into the position where Fate had determined that this mission would begin. _

_Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as one of Philemon's magicians—half-Fay, half-Dwarf—disappeared into the shadows. _

"_Magicians,"_ _muttered the other guard in disgust, though his dark blue eyes did not move from their fixed position. Though he was young, the guard had clearly been raised properly in the distaste the Fay had for those who used their sorceries not for worshippers but for profit. Kakkhanadori titled his head forward almost unnoticeably. _

"_Half-breed to boot," he murmured. He was unsurprised to hear his voice sound entirely unrecognizable. It wasn't as deep as he was used to and it had a slight lilt, as if it were better used to singing. Just like any Fay's. _

_The guard snorted soundlessly. If there was a disgust that the Fay held higher than for magicians, it was the disgust for half-breeds. Nothing good ever came of a cross between a Fay and another species—not even those who could settle into Fay society comfortably. Disasters that had occurred in the past because of the presence of half-Fays—they did not lend themselves well to the formation of favorable feelings toward the genetic misfits. _

_It was this revulsion he had used to reach his current location, standing guard before the doors of the very Fay he was sent to kill. _

_As usual, Lady Fate had excellent timing. He had not stood long before a little bell rang—he Knew it was the signal to the guardsmen to open the doors. He Knew, too, that Philemon would be out first, so he readied himself even as he reached for the door in simultaneous movement with the other sentry. _

_The doors opened, and his target exited, alert and focused, but unafraid. His sharp blue gaze swept past him and out into the corridor, dismissing him—_

_The Fay died instantly. He slid his blade from where he'd sheathed it above Philemon's ear and darted away, away from the stunned guard on the other side of Philemon's body. The other occupants of the room piled into healthy confusion into the intersection; he was already halfway down the corridor before he heard the clattering footsteps of Fay pursuers—guards all. _

_Coolly glancing back, he ducked down and rammed the hilt of his katana into the stomach of the nearest attacker. While that Fay dropped, he sliced at another attacker and kicked the flail out of her hands. She attempted to dodge his next blow, but he effectively used her momentum to throw her onto the wazikashi of one of her comrades. She died, gurgling, as her comrade—also female—struggled to withdraw her sword. But he was too busy to watch the breakdown of the two Fay guards. He instead drop-kicked a fourth assailant and set up the grim chase again. _

_They stopped him a second time when from the opposite end of the corridor swarmed a rather smaller group of guards than the one at his back. He thrust his katana into the leading fighter and tossed him over his shoulder toward his original chasers. They admirably did not recoil, but pressed onto him with bleak resolution, even as the group in front closed in. _

_He cleared a circle for himself soon enough. Turning to the direction he originally had been traveling in, he noticed more reinforcements were arriving, though they advanced slowly now, more cautiously. Deciding he'd had enough of this, he bent his knees and pushed off—_

—_straight towards the left wall. Instead of running into it, he vaulted himself onto it and nearly onto the ceiling in the process—_

_He turned his head slightly; his gaze met with that of the young guard who'd shown the prejudice toward magicians, who'd stood with him outside Philemon's door and who had watched helplessly as the High Councilor was summarily dispatched. Helplessness and despair darkened the ocean-blue eyes to purple as the guard stared at him, his twin kukri clutched tightly in their respective hands—he returned the stare with a cool dismissal. The itchy feeling of the glamour settled onto his face again, and he Knew his secondary goal was accomplished. _

_He could leave this place now, could leave the guard whose role in the future he did not know, only that it was important, and go home. He raced alongside the wall and landed behind his attackers but before the reinforcements, who stilled in their places at the sight of him. He paid them no heed, however, instead brushing past them into the courtyard behind them. As his foes watched, he again bent his knees and shoved off. But he did not fly, however much he wanted to; instead he landed on one building standing at the court edge and bounced off of it towards another. He touched off of this one, too, though he almost cracked through one of the windows with the weight of his landing. _

_Finally, he ended up on the roof of the tallest building within reach of the courtyard. Here he stopped, looking back. He could see the guards and aristocratic Fay—distinctive in their gaudy coloring next to the more somber guardsmen—milling about, could hear their shouts as they tried to figure out where he'd gone. _

_Releasing a breath, he passed his hand over his face, removing the glamour—ahh, that was much better. No more itchiness. He attended to his katana, retrieving a clean cloth and wiping the blood away from the steel blade. Finally, he sheathed the sword, the scabbard itself in the obi he wore under his army uniform for such a purpose. _

_When he looked up, _he was no longer standing on the roof of the towering structure he'd last seen. Instead the five purple walls of the Dimension Keeper Headquarters—located within the Basilica Officii—intruded upon his senses. He still held the katana in his obi, but he knew it would soon disappear if its current owner wanted it. No one resided within this section of the Headquarters, for his team of Keepers had already gone home or were still on missions, such as he had been until five minutes ago. He shook his head at the memory.

Exhaustion washed into him as this shift's long duration finally caught up to him. The arrival of those interns from the School of Professions had helped a drastic amount in lightening the load of the Eleventh Dimension's Keepers, but there was only so much green interns could do. Kakkhanadori's shoulders slumped, but tensed as an unexpected pain in his left side made itself known.

This new pain, added to the exhaustion of a long day, and the heavy knowledge that he had killed more people today—he gritted his teeth. He would _not_ disgrace himself by falling down into a heap and passing out. He would go to the Healers, have them check over the pain in his ribs (it was not a good idea to let pain caused by a mission to go unattended, even a minor one—which this one was not), and do whatever was required of him to heal. Then he would walk out of the Hospital, out of the Market, and trust the City to get him home. There he would find the couch in the living room, collapse upon it, and do nothing else but sleep for the rest of the day.

He wouldn't get all this done if he didn't pick up his feet and move. Grimly, he carefully clamped his arm to his side, hoping to anchor whatever was paining him, and headed for a portal that would take him out of the Basilica. He was grateful for the fact that portals were not jostling rides, nor did they last long, for he was out and approaching the nearby Hospital within three seconds.

On the way to the Hospital, he spotted Tenna Athenike and Catherine Watanabe in the Market, walking in his direction with shopping bags clutched in their hands. Both of their expressions were animated—even shy Catherine had brightened up after a month in Tenna's company. It was Tenna who saw him first, her countenance breaking into a large smile upon seeing him. Catherine was not far behind in noticing him—not with Tenna's waving movement beside her—but unlike Tenna, she did not smile.

Her face instead adopted its traditional worried appearance, her hair returning to veiling its owner's eyes even as the black eyes peeked up at him worriedly. At least she had progressed from watching the floor to watching his every move with fear and worry whenever he was nearby—he knew the floor was about as interesting as peeling wallpaper.

It was still annoying, though.

Grimacing, he held back the surge of his light core at that thought. Today just was not his day, he mused in exasperation as he forced the source of his light ki back to its dark cage. He distantly perceived Catherine's eyes widen, but he was too tired, too pained, and too plain _upset_ to much care.

Instead he shook his head minutely at Tenna, who instantly stopped and pretended he didn't exist. Rather, she seized the bewildered Catherine by the arm and bodily pulled her away, despite Catherine's obvious confusion and worry. Shaking his head more fully, partly in gratitude, partly in exasperation, he continued on to the Hospital.

Within, an attendant was waiting for him as per the Foreknowledge that almost all Residents of the City possessed. Very quickly, Kakkhanadori had been sat down in one of the many rooms the Hospital offered and was being examined by Healer Geretsky, who pronounced his injury as _'fresh'_ and _'in need of stitches.'_ Though almost dizzy from pain, Kakkhanadori nevertheless understood and nodded his consent to Geretsky's unasked question. The Healer grinned, showing his elongated canines, said, _'I knew there was a reason I liked working with you DK types,'_ and promptly dived onto Kakkhanadori's wound.

The Legendary Lord didn't feel a thing a minute later.

:-:-:-:

Minutes later, he was vertical again and feeling much better. Whatever the Vampire Geretsky had done to him had helped tremendously in reducing the pain, and where he suspected the injury had been, there was naught but a shadowed bruise. It didn't even hurt when he lightly touched it.

'_Careful now with that,'_ Geretsky's accented voice admonished him. Kakkhanadori looked up at his Healer and nodded. Geretsky's fanged smile was much more relaxed, as well as existing in a face much less pasty and pinched. _'I must say, I thank you for allowing me to feed on your wound; your blood is quite refreshing.'_

'_As I can see, Healer,'_ Kakkhanadori responded neutrally. Geretsky nodded, pleased by the Legend's reaction, and clapped his hands briskly.

'_Other than the slash at your ribs that you came in with, you have no other injuries. You may leave, if you wish, but I'll want a visit from you tomorrow to make sure that the cut has healed properly. Stop by the reception and make an appointment for that, and fill out the survey about your visit that one of the nurses gives you to bring in tomorrow, as well. _

'_I'm afraid that this is a required survey, Legendary,'_ he slyly smiled at the hint of disgust on the Immortal's face, _'so don't come in without it!'_

When the Vampire had departed and blessed silence had pervaded the quaint hospital room, Kakkhanadori shook his head. He was _not_ donating any of his blood for this Healer ever again if this was the result. He received enough hyperactivity between Tenna and Ilowe, thank you very much.

Shrugging on his overcoat and buttoning it—he was too ready to get out of here to take the time to put on his shirt again—he made ready to leave. He had just spotted the oddly-designed reception desk when a sense of being watched caused him to look around instead of advance. He caught the eyes of Catherine Watanabe with puzzlement, especially at the relief she evinced upon seeing him.

When he stared too long, she swung her gaze again away; her body drooped and her hands fidgeted nervously in the lap they lay in. He sighed and, returning to the reception desk, made the necessary appointment, took the mandatory survey. He was not entirely happy that he'd have to cut part of tomorrow's shift to make this appointment, but as no Foreknowledge had said he shouldn't take the time that was offered to him, he hadn't refused it. Still, he didn't really want to dump his workload onto the already heavy plates of his fellow colleagues...

"Are you all right?" brought him out of his reverie. Catherine had gathered up her courage to speak to him again, but carefully avoided his eyes when he glanced over at her. Kakkhanadori was puzzled as to why the Human would ask, but he answered the question anyway.

'_Yes,'_ he said, tucking the survey into his pocket where he was sure to forget it until tomorrow. His tone nevertheless must have held a question within its depths, for Catherine rushed to explain.

"I was worried about you," she said (in Earthling, he noted absently); her tone indicated that she was still worried. Likely it was because of him this time, not about him. "You looked so closed off, and your ki core—it was so damaged. I—"

'_You saw my ki core?'_ The question came out sharper than, subconsciously, he intended it to. Catherine flinched.

'_Only for a moment or two,'_ she said defensively, slipping into Demonic in the process. _'But it looked like it was in really bad shape, and—'_ She abruptly took a deep breath._ 'I'm sorry for intruding,'_ she said, instead of continuing, and deflated.

Kakkhanadori regarded the slim and short figure standing beside him in the halls of the hospital even despite her obvious fear of him. He did not like the fact that she had seen his core—that was no one's business but his own—and he liked it even less that she had passed judgment on it by citing it as "damaged".

It was not damaged, his core—he could draw ki from it easily enough, and he was still able to fight just as if he had not had his Super Saiyan powers converted to light during that incident five years ago. If his ki center truly was "damaged," than he wouldn't have been able to function as he normally did.

Dismissing this issue out of hand, Kakkhanadori still found Catherine's anxiety for him surprising. Touching, yes, but it was inconsistent with her behavior toward him thus far. Nevertheless, questioning the Human too closely on her motives was not only rude, but—it was counterproductive. He made Catherine uncomfortable enough. No need to add an interrogation into the mix.

Instead he murmured a belated, _'Thank you for your concern. I'm fine.'_ He sensed movement beside him, but he didn't look around at it. In fact, that was a good idea. Clearly his eyes were what troubled Catherine the most; he told himself to avoid her eyes whenever they shared the same space, but to behave naturally in every other aspect, such as conversation. Perhaps that would ease some of the Earthling's discomfort.

While he had been ruminating, Catherine had asked, timidly, _'Are you sure?'_ He wondered again at her motives for asking. Any other City Resident would have taken his answer for what it was and left him alone. Why, then, was Catherine so concerned?

His tone, when he answered, was its normal neutral. _'Yes.'_ He added, upon reaching the entrance of the Hospital at last, _'I'll escort you to the Café if you wish me to.'_

'_Oh,'_ Catherine said, clearly surprised. _'Thank you, but I'd said I'd meet Tenna at Panfila's.'_

'_Do you know where that is?' _he asked, staring out into the Market into which they'd stepped. Even after a month, the Market could still be confusing.

'_Yes,'_ Catherine said with confidence. _'Finally,'_ she added with a laugh, though Kakkhanadori sensed the nervousness still in it.

He nodded his head to himself. She would be fine.

'_Very well,' _he said, bowing slightly in farewell. He turned right, crossing in front of the Vendor who sold books, and allowed the City to carry him away from the Human, whose confusion and bafflement were quite evident to him even without looking at her.

The City dropped him off at the entryway into Gaits Lanaid, where the Dimension Keepers lived, and retreated at his thanks. He walked briskly to his home, enjoying the air, before he found his porch and let himself in behind the distinctly non-Demonic façade of the dwelling he inhabited.

There, in the living room, was the sofa he'd told himself he'd crash on earlier today, when he'd been nearly overwhelmed with pain and fatigue. Now, he felt better, so he opted instead to meditate, eat, then crash. Good thing he'd bought out the Debiathes Cuisinery again two days ago, for he wouldn't have enough energy to think about preparing some food after this meditation. It was time to go someplace in his soul he hadn't gone for a long time.

Frowning lightly, he went through to the back of the living room to the shrine to the Lady beyond it (dropping off his red-stained shirt on the armchair along the way). He strode to the mat in the middle of the room, faced the shrine, arranged himself on top of the mat in proper lotus position, and closed his eyes.

_It didn't take him long to find the place he was looking for. Indeed, it came to him almost instantly, horrifyingly familiar and detested: his inner light ki core. _

_Here was the source of all his ki, both levels of Super Saiyans that he had attained, the Mystic level, and the ever-mysterious Light level he was capable of using. It was this Light level that had helped him defeat the Laniins, what was left of them after the Menrui-darkness was done with them. It was this Light level that had metamorphosed him into the Kakkhan-light creature which had had no goal but to demolish the dark figures of malice threatening him-it-them (and how detachedly he-it-they had!). It was this light core that possessed the ki to transform into this creature. _

_He had not transformed into the Kakkhan-light again. _

_Now, as he gazed at the light core that he both despised and needed, he was forced to admit the truth of Catherine Watanabe's assessment. It _was _damaged; in fact, "damaged" was too mild a term for it. Half-choked by the dark vines latched onto it, the normally whirling globe of light was now still and lifeless, barely registering his presence. The cage was no longer a cage, but instead what appeared at first to be a chrysalis but was actually a thickly-veined tree. The tree's top was the ceiling of his mind (as far as he could tell, anyway), and its roots, monstrous in size, seemed to flex rhythmically. Next to this tree, the blindingly white orb seemed dead, even though it pulsated in tune with the tree of darkness. _

_Though the image before him should have provoked in him some feeling of pity for the light, it did not. Instead he only felt a vague sort of satisfaction, uneasy though it was. After the battle with the Laniins, he'd promised this light core inside of him that he would do all he could to destroy it; although he hadn't succeeded, he certainly had come close, he thought. _

_On a whim, he held out his hand. Slowly, he made ki come to the palm of his hand, collecting it unthinkingly into a ball as he was used to. The globe shuddered, seeming to exhale a loud groan as particles of itself separated from it to fly to Kakkhanadori's hand. The dark vines over it squeezed once, tightly, then let go to allow the globe expand as it met his demand for ki.  
__  
There, he thought, shaking his hand free of the ki bomb he'd created, It works well enough. No need to do anything here. His eyes flicked over how the vines immediately constricted again over the light, so as not to let it escape. He nodded, satisfied, and turned to go away. _

_He was still uneasy about how tight those roots were. But as long as he still had the use of his ki, he wouldn't do anything about it. Better to have ki and be in control of his inner core than not to have access to his ki because he'd given in to his unease and tried to do something he didn't know the effects of. _

Out of his trance by this time, Kakkhanadori blew out his breath. He would regret his decision one day, he knew. He just couldn't shake the feeling that that day was closer than he thought.

Nothing he could do about that, he shrugged, except meet that day head on and do what he could then. He couldn't worry about it now.

Besides, he had other things to worry about, such as his heavily growling stomach. A check with his internal clock told him hours had passed. Rubbing his stomach lightly, the Immortal slowly unfolded his stiff legs, allowed them to rest a moment before standing on them.

The kitchen was calling.

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A/n: Yeah. I was going to say something really important here, but...I forgot. Oops.

Just so you guys know, this is going to be a relatively slow-paced fic compared to the first two **Kakkhans**. Where Kakkhan I covered eleven years and Kakkhan II covered six, so far in about thirteen chapters approximately a single year has been written. There are also homosexual people coming up in a few chapters, but they don't do anything other than have the label of "homosexual". No shounen ai, yaoi, slash, explicit femme slash, or yuri in here. There may be some femme slash if you "squint", but you're likely to ruin your eyes if you try that.

If this concept puts you off, don't worry—I'll be posting summaries of the relevant chapter sections so that you basically know what's going on, but don't have to read it yourself. So don't let that stop you from reading this story—only two chapters have them mentioned, anyway, at least so far. We'll have to see.

Savvy about that? Good. I hope you enjoyed this chapter; whether or not you did, however, does not mean you don't review. I would like some REVIEWS. Yes, them, those things that authors thrive off of. However, I do not want flames; a review criticizing this chapter (or the fic) in polite and reasonable language is welcome.

I am actually encouraging discussion of events in these chapters that you feel are confusing or interesting or totally random—because in fact I write this fic for you guys, not just myself. I would like to talk about my fic in as many ways as possible, not just "Great chapter! Will read the next one!" (sample **lpgohanfanatic** review :P). Those are great and all, but...

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SNEAK PREVIEW OF: Return

Finally, after about a minute, their eyes settled somewhat where he stood, their orbs wavering uncertainly as they saw nothing. Chokiiro, he noticed, did seem to stare at him in more focus, but he knew better than to chalk this off. Children could always be counted upon to have uncanny perceptions where they shouldn't. He did nothing to halt Chokiiro's gaze, but turned back to the Capsule dome. He ignored, in the process, Goten's whispered, "Kakkhan?"

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Thanks to **Lov3the3vil** and **lpgohanfanatic** for reviewing!

Sayonara!

**TheShadowPanther** and Allati, from **AASN**

**AASN; **Writing is what we do for you at **AASN**. Enjoy.

_Updated 09.18.07_


	4. Chapter Three: Return

**Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper **

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha!

Chapter Three: Return

Kakkhanadori sighed as he slid into his accustomed seat at the Café table. He nodded at Inu, who bared Its teeth in a smile, and shook his head in response to Tenna's "Good morning." It was _not_ a good morning, he communicated in his look, but Tenna just flapped a hand at him teasingly and carried on her conversation with Daia about, of all things, the importance of brooms.

He nodded a hello to both Ilowe and Catherine, careful to look just slightly over the latter's shoulder. He leaned back in his chair and relaxed. Today was _not_ going to be a good day, he could feel it in his bones. The revelation he'd had yesterday about his ki core and the feeling of impending doom following—he hadn't expected to get quite _so_ little sleep last night. He was surprised his eyes weren't bloodshot.

'_Legendary Lord!'_ he heard a voice call. He looked up, along with Ilowe, Tenna, Daia, and Catherine, to the speaker: Flint, the Horseman of Famine. _'Legendary Lord, I have bad news for you!'_

Even as he motioned for Flint to come in, he felt the half-dormant vestiges of his prediction come awake in his stomach. They hammered away at the lining of said organ, making him sick and nauseous, but he still lifted his eyes to stare at Flint's solemn face as the Horseman dismounted from Flaunt and came into the Café.

'_What is it, Flint?'_ he asked as soon as Flint was within range. _'What's happened?'_

'_Vorízentai the Valkyrie has managed to break through the banishment you put on her. She's estimated to arrive here at the Demon Dimension in two weeks.'_

Suddenly the atmosphere within the Café was tense. The silence at the Legendary Lord's table was interminable. Every face except for Catherine's was pale, though for different reasons, and no one was more porcelain white or frozen than Kakkhanadorisainkai, Legendary Lord.

'_The Lady sent me straight away to warn you, Legendary,'_ Flint finished quietly. His Morph of a horse shifted outside, as agitated as Its master. Kakkhanadori blinked, the only sign that he was still alive, and looked up again.

The Horseman smiled grimly at the twin vortexes of darkness that had replaced Kakkhanadori's eyes. He did not seem to mind the oppressing feeling of power that collected and clung to the Legendary Lord like a mobile spiderweb, waiting patiently to trap anyone unworthy into his grasp and then tear the body apart.

No one else at the table was quite so calm as Flint; Daia handled it best, merely leaning back, while Catherine was the worst, actively cringing and emitting fearful sobs while she inched away from Kakkhanadorisainkai.

Kakkhanadorisainkai himself did not notice any of these things; he only returned the Famine Horseman's smile. _'Thank you for telling me, Flintiwatarunokiga,'_ he said, his voice somehow even deeper and resonant with the power heavy in the air. Tenna and Catherine both flinched at his voice, which was also terrifying not just because of its power but also its total lack of any emotion. Kakkhanadorisainkai, Legendary Lord—Kakkhanadori's true form—had just reappeared.

Yoki's statement of a month ago, _'It sounds like life is about to become very lively around here,' _was not enough to describe this new series of events. The apocalypse had just broken out, and there was no way to stop it.

As the Legendary Lord stood up, Flint asked, deferentially, _'Shall I spread the word, milord?' _

'_Yes,'_ said Kakkhanadorisainkai, not looking at him. _'And gather the Mages while you are at it. The other Horsemen already know what they must do.' _

'_Yes, milord,'_ said Flint, although Kakkhanadorisainkai's sentence had not been a question. The Horseman turned and ran out of the Café (which was still as quiet as a tomb). As he departed on Flaunt, Kakkhanadorisainkai turned to Inu.

'_Inuyashanukuma,'_ he said. Inu snarled. _'On it, Legendary,' _the dog growled, baring Its fangs. The Legend nodded. The pair turned to leave, only to have Tenna blurt out:

'_Milord, may I—'_ she started, but he interrupted her.

'_You may,'_ was all he said. Without once looking at her or at the rest of the table, he and InuYasha left.

With his disappearance, the Café was instantly released. Chatter started up again; Tenna let out a long breath. The atmosphere cleared, but the tense expressions of Kakkhanadori's companions did not.

Tenna looked aggrieved and saddened. Hodaia seemed to have permanently turned into stone, she was so stiff. Ilowe had just misplaced his eternally cheerful look entirely, replacing it instead with an eternal scowl of disapproval.

And Catherine? Catherine was positively shaking, her entire body trembling as if she were a tree in a hurricane. Her eyes were wide as if she had seen a ghost and lived to tell the tale, only to face the ghost a second time all over again. She was, nevertheless, soon stuttering out questions enough.

'_What-what was that?'_ she queried, fastening her eyes on her roommate. _'Why did he—'_

'_Let me explain it to you,' _Tenna sighed, holding up a hand to stop Catherine's flow of words. _'First of all, do you know who Vorízentai the Valkyrie is?' _

Catherine shook her head negatively. Tenna nodded. _'Then listen carefully,'_ she said, _'to what I'm about to tell you. _

'_Since the Legendary Lord knows much more about what the Valkyrie is supposed to do, I'll leave him to tell you, if he ever chooses to. But I will tell you that that,' _she snarled a curse that made the Human gasp, _'has royally screwed over just about _everyone_ in the City, myself and Daia included, and the Legend especially. Daia doesn't talk much because of what the Valkyrie did to her. _

'_I know, I'm sorry, Daia,' _Tenna said to the Illusionist, who, Catherine thought, hadn't moved at all. _'But this is necessary,' _the Drake continued. _'Ask anybody in the City about the Valkyrie and you'll only get expressions of hate or annoyed curses. _That's_ how horrible she is._

'_Anyway.'_ Tenna shook herself out of her rant visibly. _'I was telling you that Vorízentai the Valkyrie had wrecked Daia, and the Legend, and I. Well, what she did with the Legend was inexcusable. Bad enough to flirt with people—girls and boys alike—and entice them to do things they normally wouldn't, but to _actively_—'_

'_Tenna,'_ Ilowe stated, his voice flat. _'There's no use in trying. It'd be better to get the story from the Legend himself.' _His scowl had not removed itself from his face for the entire time Tenna was attempting to explain to Catherine.

'_You're right,'_ Tenna sighed, reverting to the half-sad, half-angry state she had been in before she spoke.

Her body having ceased trembling by this time (even if it still had goose bumps), Catherine eyed her roommate worriedly. She said, wanting to change the subject, _'Why are you calling Ka-a-a—'_

'_When he gets like this, with his power out and all, you can't say his name,' _Ilowe explained with something like sympathy in his flat tone. He made it sound like the Legend unleashed his power every day on a whim. _'You have to say his title in some form or other, such as Legend, Legendary, Lord, etc, and when addressing him directly, you say "milord" automatically.' _

'_Unless you're Inu,' _Tenna quipped. Ilowe grinned, but not with any mirth. Daia turned her head and spoke straight to Catherine.

'_Conversely,'_ she said in her light voice, _'the Legend has to address everyone in the City by their full names or not at all.' _

Catherine blinked. Daia added, softly, _'It works that way for all the City Residents, whether they have a title or not.'_ With that, the Illusionist turned away and transformed into stone again. The Human, after processing the information that Daia had given her (and the fact that Daia had even spoken at all), nodded slowly. She was going to need to think about this new development...when she had the time.

For now she watched as, slowly, the life within the City picked itself up, having frozen mid-action at the soul-shattering news of the Valkyrie Vorízentai's return.

:-:-:-:

He was returned, his heart aching, to the heartrendingly familiar environment of his dearly beloved home dimension, the tiny little plantball that was lovingly called Chikyuu-sei... He was returned, but no one knew of this but him. To the Chikyuu-jins flowing to the right and to the left of him, he did not exist. They could not see him, hear him, smell him, feel him, or taste him, but they merely avoided the plot of land he occupied, as if that, too, did not exist.

He was surrounded by hundreds of hearts beating just like his own, but he was just as alone as he'd always been.

He lifted his gaze to the heavens and absorbed the view rising high above him. If he wished, he could leap up to a level much, much higher than the uniquely shaped roof, but he did not want to. He was content to stare in a turbulent nostalgia at the highly distinctive and highly familiar form of the Capsule Corporation Headquarters.

He turned his head slightly as out of the doors burst a flurry of activity, a blur of black, violet, and smaller black. These eventually resolved themselves into the perpetually hyperactive figures of Son Goten, Briefs Trunks, and Son Chokiiro. They moved to him and to pass him, chattering animatedly...

But they stopped when they drew abreast of him, their gazes drifting about in a vague confusion and/or concentration. He only watched, impassive-faced, as the trio continued to try to pinpoint his inimitable presence. They could not be faulted for their efforts, he mused, but he was still inwardly amazed that they would even _try_. After he had left so abruptly and so badly...

Finally, after about a minute, their eyes settled somewhat where he stood, their orbs wavering uncertainly as they saw nothing. Chokiiro, he noticed, did seem to stare at him in more focus, but he knew better than to chalk this off. Children could always be counted upon to have uncanny perceptions where they shouldn't. He did nothing to halt Chokiiro's gaze, but turned back to the Capsule dome. He ignored, in the process, Goten's whispered, "Kakkhan?"

When nothing was forthcoming to answer the demi-Saiyan's query, Goten sighed in disappointment. Trunks wasn't nearly as ready to give up, but boldly stepped forward.

"We know you're here, oniisan. Come out and show yourself," the violet-haired hybrid announced into the air. He smiled then, sadly, at Trunks' honorific for him, and again perceived Chokiiro, the youngest of the Son Saiyans and his only sister, again staring at him fiercely.

"Don't be sad," she said quite unexpectedly. He raised an eyebrow, but did not otherwise react. "Don't be said, nii-kun," Chokiiro repeated instinctively reaching out a hand that he just as instinctively shrank away from. She stopped, confusion upon her features, even as her other brother stooped to her level.

"What do you see, Cho? What can you see that the rest of us can't?" Goten whispered to her from behind her. He stared hard down her line of sight, stared hard at the astral projection of his own elder brother, though he'd never known him as such. He noticed Goten's eyes widen as he shifted subtly, heard Trunks' indrawn breath from beside him.

"So pretty!" Chokiiro cheered, her hands clapping. Trunks tried to cover up the sudden tears in his eyes while Goten only stared in a half-helpless fascination. The trio attracted looks from the passerby because of their strange stillness in the middle of the sidewalk and because of their slack-eyed gazes at the black iron fencepost they stood beside. But the trio didn't notice, too enthralled with what they saw to much care about anything else.

He noticed all of this and more, but he was only concentrating on projecting himself elsewhere. He knew that he had started radiating light, but he didn't know what was "so pretty" about it. He was only focusing on crumbling away his image and assembling it again in another place.

He felt his image break apart into particles, which he then stirred into a slow maelstrom. When he had the speed and consistency he desired, he allowed a stream of the whirlpool to flow away, starting at his right foot and making its stately way up to his left ear. At the same time he disassembled his image here, he reassembled it in another place, namely the Capsule Corps kitchens.

When the last particle of the entity known to Son Goten, Son Chokiiro, and Briefs Trunks as Tairyoku "Son Gohan" Kakkhan disappeared, the glittering rainbow that had made up his radiation exploded outwards, blinding them. When they turned back, there was no sign of their mutual brother (whether in spirit or in blood) to be seen.

Hours later, after he had observed Bulma and Chichi, Kakkarot and Vegeta, Piccolo and Dende, Krillin, Sayo, and Marron, Yamcha, and Chiaotzu and Tien, he returned to Chokiiro. He entered her awareness not in a conscious sort of way, _but into her dream, where the selfsame child was playing in the sand of an unknown beach. _

'_Nii-kun!'__ she cried upon seeing him. He didn't smile in return, but he could feel his face softening for just an instant. He recovered soon enough. _

'_Please don't call me that,'__ he said to the girl gripping his legs, the only part of him she could hug. _

'_Huh? Why not?'__ she exclaimed, raising her eyes to meet his. They were so bright, those eyes—he almost hated to disappoint them. Almost. _

'_You don't know me well enough to be so familiar with my honorific,'__ he told the child sternly. __'Call me anisan, if you must refer to me as your brother at all.'_

_Chokiiro looked about to cry, but he would have none of that. Bending so that he was almost eye-to-eye with her, he grasped her hands in his own. __'You must understand, little one,'__ her eyes brightened at her endearment, he was pleased to see, __'that I am not comfortable with the concept of having a little sister or even a little brother to take care of._

'_I was on my own for a long time,'__ he continued, __'and I still am. It's hard to get used to having to take care of others when you've been taking care of only yourself for a long time. Do you understand?' _

_She nodded cutely, but then asked, __'What's a concept?'_

_He chuckled involuntarily. __'An idea, a thought,'__ he said, still holding her hands in his. __'Have you been reading much?'_

'_I love to read!'__ Chokiiro shouted, bouncing eagerly. __'It's my favoritest thing to do in the whole wide world!'_

'_Good,'__ stressed he, shaking his sister's wrists to get her attention. __'Don't ever give that up, no matter what other people say to you about it. If other people tease you, throw some big words at them, like "concept",'__ he said firmly. Chokiiro beamed at him and nodded. _

'_Don't let people hurt you, Chokiiro,'__ he finished. __'It's not worth it.'_

'_You know my name?'__ the girl squealed, her eyes huge. _

'_Of course,'__ he said, vaguely puzzled as to why he wouldn't. __'I was still on Earth when you were born.'_

'_Wow,'__ Cho said. He had to bite his cheek to keep from laughing at her awe. __'How old was I when you left, nii-kun? I mean—anisan!'_

_He was forced to chuckle involuntarily again at the honestly guilty expression on his sister's face. __'Don't worry about it, Cho,'__ he said. __'Just keep trying, and I will too. Okay?'_

_Chokiiro nodded. His lips twisted. __'I have to go now,'__ he told her, who immediately began protesting. __'You're about to wake up, and believe me, you do __**not**__ want someone else stuck in your brain for a whole day.'__ He gathered the sad-faced Chokiiro into a swift embrace. __'Don't worry, I'll see you again. Don't be frowning like that when next I see you, you'll get wrinkles like Bulma if you do.'_

'_Aieeee!'__ Chokiiro cried as he dug his fingers into her sides. She wriggled out of his grasp and bounded away, laughing as she slipped on the sand and almost landed on her face. His own face softening again, he stood to his full height, stark against the lighthearted atmosphere in his customarily dark attire. Chokiiro waved cheerfully at him; he nodded his return farewell. _

_His heart was much lighter for the leaving than it was for the coming. _

:-:-:-:

When he woke up from his trance, he at first possessed no idea of where he was. A blink of the eyes reassured him that he was indeed safe, just not in a place he typically haunted. The Northwest Librarian's Record Hall greeted him, helpfully carried his groans of muscle stiffness down the hall.

'_You're done, then, milord?' _the Librarian asked, her head popping out of the room next to him. He nodded, still stretching. _'Right,'_ she said, briskly pushing her glasses up her nose. _'I'll get the room cleaned up after you. No, don't worry, Ilowe and Oseye could stand the exercise. _You_ have far more to worry about than about being polite.' _

'_Thank you,'_ he replied, gazing away from her. He gathered up his coat and shoes, put the shoes on, and made his way out of the Hall. Flint was due back with the Mages any time now, meaning that he'd better prepare for the ritual. It would not do to be under-prepared for Vorízentai the Valkyrie. He didn't want her to ruin him more than she had already.

'_Milord!'_ That was Tenna, he thought. Turning, he watched her run the remaining distance between them. When she was three meters away, he called out:

'_Yes, Tenna Kilon Athenike?'_

The Drake made a face at the mention of her middle name, but didn't let it deter her in the least. _'I couldn't tell Catherine about what the Valkyrie did to you,'_ she proclaimed bluntly. He nodded, having expected this. There wasn't anyone in the City who really wanted to talk about Vorízentai.

'_Very well,'_ he said. _'Thank you for telling me.'_

'_When you're done with the ritual, milord, I want you to come directly to my apartment. I won't have you sleeping alone, not with all the nightmares that you are going to have.'_ Tenna was adamant.

'_What makes you think I am going to have nightmares?'_ He raised a hand. _'Do not answer that. It _is_ a stupid question.' _

'_You know it,'_ Tenna agreed. _'I'll have something whipped up for you when you arrive. Bring your own futon, too!' _

He didn't deign to acknowledge the last; he always brought his own futon, if only to avoid sleeping on Tenna's famously bad couch. The couch she had in her living room was so deficient it wasn't even worth thinking about. Especially before a ritual with the Mages.

He had to admit it, though. Tenna's care for him was touching. He would only confess this if he were seriously drunk (which he had never been, thank the Demon Gods), but the knowledge of this confession to himself warmed him almost as much as his visit to Earth had. Now if only Vorízentai wasn't coming... He sighed. Better get that ritual going.

With brisk footsteps, he took the inner warmth with him to the Tower, where the Mages Nsonowa, Burne Cadman, and Khouri, along with four others he didn't remember the names of, would help prepare not only him but the entirety of the Demon Dimension for the tricky and alluring Valkyrie known as Vorízentai.

:-:-:-:

A/n: (Sigh) College. Writer's Block. Homework. The drill. All are in a conspiracy to keep all fanfiction writers (including you and me) from writing fanfiction. So far, they're succeeding with me.

RL sucks.

:-:-:-:

SNEAK PREVIEW OF: Femme Fatale

It was only when Kakkhanadori was smiling slightly at a disgruntled Daia that the both of them stiffened. Daia stood up suddenly from the table and stalked away in the direction opposite of the exit. Kakkhanadori merely collected the cards up and put them away. His face had successfully turned to stone by the time a face-pale-with-rage Tenna and a brooding Ilowe dragged a bewildered Catherine back to the table and slammed into their seats.

:-:-:-:

Thanks to **Lov3the3vil** and **lpgohanfanatic** for reviewing! Remember to please give me something other than "Update soon!" (I'm begging here!)

Ciao!

**TheShadowPanther** and Allati, from **AASN**

**AASN;** Writing is what we do for you at **AASN**.Enjoy.

_Updated 10.12.07_


	5. Chapter Four: Femme Fatale

**Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper**

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha!

Chapter Four: Femme Fatale

When he joined the rest of the friends at the HTC the next day, he found that they were arguing over possible nicknames for Catherine. So far, the popular choices seemed to be "Nay," "Cath," and "Ree"; the subject of the argument herself appeared to be bemused and not a little bewildered.

'_But Ree and Cath are so _common_!'_ Tenna burst out fiercely. _'We don't want to compare our Catherine to those who have no speck of originality, now do we?'_

'Our_ Catherine?'_ he interjected in unison with Ilowe. They continued in the same vein. _'How about _your_ Catherine?'_

'_We hardly ever get her to ourselves,'_ Ilowe pressed. _'Not with you always whisking her away to this place, that place, and all the other places you can imagine! How do you expect the rest of us to have a chance at making friends with _Cath_ if you're hogging her for every second of the day? It's inconceivable!'_

'_You _could _keep her company during the hours I have to work, you know!' _Tenna hissed. _'You're always complaining that you want an excuse not to work in the Records Hall. How about picking _her _up and doing something with her?'_

'_Do _what_?' _Ilowe snarled. As the two descended even further into the realms of irrelevant bickering, Kakkhanadori leaned over to Hodaia. _'How long you reckon it'll be before they get over themselves and start daring, couple months?' _

Daia shook her head meaningfully. _'Never?'_ Kakkhanadori frowned his eyebrows. _'Don't you think that's a little harsh?'_ The Illusionist shook her head again. _'Well, if you say so...'_ He trailed off doubtfully.

Now he had Tenna and Ilowe glowering at _him_, just as he'd intended. Acting as if he'd only realized this, he inquired in a mild tone, _'Oh, you're done then? I must have picked a good time to come in.'_ He raised his eyebrows mockingly before turning to Catherine.

'_What do you want, Catherine-san? Do you like Nay, Cath, or Ree, or none of them and they all suck at...'_ He trailed off again at the stare his addressee was leveling at him.

'_What are you staring at me for?' _he asked, not a little bit exasperated. But Catherine did not seem to notice. Instead she pointed at something a little over his shoulder. _'Your emanation, it's changed,'_ she said almost matter-of-factly. _'What did they do to you last night that changed it?' _

Turning to glare at Tenna, (who suddenly busied herself with the napkins) Kakkhanadori sighed imperceptibly. He didn't mind explaining things about himself...he just would rather not. It saved a lot of hassle.

Taking a few moments to gather his thoughts (and noticing Ilowe and Hodaia leaning in), he started. Last night, his energy had been coiled into a lattice-like pattern, able to move about as freely as before, but ready to snap and trap anyone (or anything) who tried to insinuate itself within the core with the intention of controlling it.

It had not been easy to achieve this; the Mage Nsonowa had thoroughly rebuked him for allowing his ki center to get so fouled up as it was. The dark tree had been cut down (which had the effect of lightening the color of his mind to an absurd degree, he thought to himself) and the light core gradually coaxed to life again. Once the half-dead globe had no longer appeared so half-dead, merely depressed, the Mages had set about reworking it into the protective lattice pattern.

'_It was surprisingly easy to actually get the core rewoven into this pattern,'_ Kakkhanadori remarked. _'After all this time and all the neglect I'd done to it, my inner core still loves me.'_ He sighed again. Catherine looked confused again, but the others wore relieved expressions. They knew very well what his core was capable of.

He finished with, _'The best thing about the latticework is that I don't have to keep my core active at all times, like I'd have to without it. I don't have to be Kakkhanadorisainkai if I don't have to be, which is a relief for me.' _He blew out a breath.

'_It reminds you too much of the Valkyrie, doesn't it?' _Tenna asked sympathetically. He met her eyes, saw the understanding there, nodded.

'_In more ways than one,'_ he said, quietly. Silence occurred between them, but comfortably, and did not stay long.

'_All right, Cath, it's the moment of truth,'_ Ilowe began. _'Which is it going to be: Nay, Ree, or _Cath_?'_

:-:-:-:

After deciding that Catherine didn't mind "Cath" or "Nay" as long as _no one_ called her "Ree," the group of friends spent the next few days in varying degrees of diversion. Though Ilowe and Tenna barely spoke to each other about it, they somehow came to an agreement and began splitting up Catherine's time between them, Hodaia, and Kakkhanadori. The Human didn't seem to notice this at first, for they were pretty subtle about it, but after the entire group took her to Life's Games, the local video game club, she apparently had the epiphany.

The Human initially seemed baffled, then grateful, and finally, she turned to determination. What the determination was for, Kakkhanadori didn't know, but it seemed to relax her and help her accept the more active friendship they offered her.

They were hanging out at the club of Los Sueños Dorados ("The Golden Dreams") a week after the Life's Games epiphany, and everyone was unaccountably tense. Kakkhanadori could see that, yet again, Catherine was confused, but she kept it well-hidden as she, Tenna, and Ilowe went out again and again into the dancing crowds; again and again they came back utterly exhausted but utterly exhilarated. While they did this, he and Daia played cards. They two Dimension Keepers were evenly matched; Kakkhanadori was only ahead of the other in Rummy by a run, but Daia seemed intent on Going Rummy on him, which meant he had to get rid of all his cards soon or he'd be totally wiped out.

It was only when Kakkhanadori was smiling slightly at a disgruntled Daia that the both of them stiffened. Daia stood up suddenly from the table and stalked away in the direction opposite of the exit. Kakkhanadori merely collected the cards up and put them away. His face had successfully turned to stone by the time a face-pale-with-rage Tenna and a brooding Ilowe dragged a bewildered Catherine back to the table and slammed into their seats.

'_I cannot believe the _nerve_,' _Tenna spat, shaking in her fury. Amongst the three, there was no need to mention whose nerve she couldn't believe. _'That she would show up _here_—' _

'_Calm down, Tenna,'_ Kakkhanadori advised. He rose to his feet. _'I'm going to go mingle, get the danger away from Catherine-san.'_

The two nodded to his back as he acted upon his words. He could still hear Catherine's voice asking what the matter was; he surged into the crowd before he heard the answer. He sought the protection of the crowds in an attempt to outlast his pursuer, even though it was a futile effort. No matter where he went, he _would_ be found.

What could be changed now, however, was how long it was before he was caught. Taking a ninety degree left turn, he had only time to complete this thought before he stopped in his tracks.

'_Vorízentai,'_ he breathed involuntarily. The entity blocking his way smiled, her lush lips curving seductively at him. He straightened up to his full height, stared the Valkyrie down as her shockingly high stilettos clicked up to him and her plum-painted fingernails interlaced with his hair.

'_I missed you, my Kakkhanadori,'_ she whispered in his ear. She was very close to him now; he could feel the heat of her body intermingling with his. _'It was so hard without you these past few years. You feel the same, don't you, despite all that they convinced you to do to me?' _

He stared, not at her now, but beyond her blue-violet hair to the inexorable stage lights flickering between the dancing bodies surrounding them. There was a slight hum in his ears that had nothing whatsoever do to with the wild music, a feeling of building tension that surmounted not from without, no, not from without, but from within...

'_I recognize that look,'_ Vorízentai purred. _'You used to get that look whenever something was threatening me.' _She gathered him closer, bumping their abdomens together as she prepared. _'But there's nothing endangering me, and I know you'd never use your power on me.' _She dragged his head down. _'So why don't you let me return us to the way we were?' _

The humming increased; power sparked in little lightning bolts all over him. They didn't touch the Valkyrie, but they did increase in frequency the farther up Kakkhanadori they traveled. Kakkhanadori stared into Vorízentai's dark eyes and, irrelevantly, wondered why they weren't grey.

That did it: The hum sharpened into a roar as his ki center snapped shut on the Valkyrie's greedily seeking tendrils. He jerked out of her hold and pushed her roughly away, his force causing her to stagger on her delicate stilettos. He had regained his stony exterior with the return of his faculties; now he towered over the Valkyrie with the weight of his activated inner circle clinging to him ominously.

'_Vorízentai Dagmar Manto the Valkyrie, you have already seen into the depths of my soul,' _the powerful being known as the Legendary Lord intoned. _'You no longer have any power over me.' _

Vorízentai, who had her hand over her heart and an incredulous look on her face, uttered a little scream. She stumbled toward the Legendary Lord again, but the glowing latticework circling slowly above his head flared to life again, halting her efforts with a force field.

Kakkhanadorisainkai spoke for a second time. _'I believe you are being summoned, Valkyrie.' _

Indeed, there was a purveyor waiting for her: Penelopegekirei, the Pestilence Horseman. She was not so much "guiding" Peninah through the silent and still crowd as much as mowing straight through it, ignoring whatever injuries she might incur. Vorízentai's lip curled; she flipped her hair over her shoulder and smoothly rearranged her dark olive features into a superior expression.

When Penelope stopped at their little clearing, helpfully made for them by the bystanders close to them, Vorízentai smirked. _'It figures They would send you to me, Penelopegekirei. Are you Their messenger now? You never could find—'_

'_You, girlie,'_ Penelope interrupted, looking down at her with green eyes that suggested Vorízentai was some type of dung beetle, _'are of no interest to me. The Demon Gods want to see you, and I volunteered to escort you. Do not presume to know the workings of the City after being exiled from it for three years.' _

Peninah, the Pestilence Morph, eyed Vorízentai boredly, it seemed, then stamped Its hoof. _'Yes, yes, my Pearl,' _Penelope crooned, gently stroking the beast's gleaming white neck. _'We'll be out soon enough.'_

Not straightening from her bent position over her mount's neck, she addressed Kakkhanadorisainkai. _'She'll likely be put under house and magical arrest for the next few weeks as punishment for trying to subdue you again, milord,'_ the Horseman intoned. Vorízentai looked righteously affronted, for Penelope had not bothered to lower her voice. _'I would not be surprised, therefore, if she tries something _else_ as soon as she's free.' _

He nodded at her, understanding the emphasis on "else". Penelope inclined her own head in a bow, then straightened and flashed him a saucy grin. _'Right then, I'm off. Don't stay up too late thinking of me.'_ He would very nearly have snorted in derision had not his feeling been encased very securely within that chest deep inside him. _'All right, girlie,'_ Penelope directed to Vorízentai, _'let's go.' _

Before the Valkyrie could protest, Peninah had nudged her quite firmly towards the exit. Kakkhanadorisainkai didn't watch them leave; Tenna had hurried up and seized his shoulder.

'_You can calm down now, milord'_ was her first statement. In a lower tone, she added, _'You're scaring Catherine again.' _

Almost automatically, he glanced toward the table. He was closer than he originally thought, which meant he must have lost his bearings—

The sight of Catherine's porcelain white face completely destroyed all thoughts about losing his bearings. Instantly he released the ki center. It hung for a few moments more in the air, as if it wanted to be sure he was certain, then folded smartly into two and retreated into his head. He relaxed as his inner core subsided back into the background of his mind and he became Kakkhanadori, just Kakkhanadori, again.

'_Thank you, Kakkhanadori,'_ Tenna sighed. _'I do suggest you sit at another table until I calm her down—Kakkhanadori!'_

This last was to his back: He had already begun stalking over to another table with two of the chairs free. He could feel his friend's helplessness as he escalated ever further into a bad mood with every step.

'Go to Catherine, Tenna,' he said mentally, not bothering to look over his shoulder. 'I'll be fine here.'

Still Tenna hesitated, but she left only after he had sat down and begun to stare into the crowds, quite determinedly away from Catherine.

The Drake rejoined the crowd soon enough. He looked stonily at her form until, unexpectedly, a voice, in Earthling, said:

"Um."

He looked up to see that it was the shaky voice of the Lady Ki Breaker, Catherine herself, that broke his reverie. The girl stood awkwardly at his new table, clutching her left arm defensively to herself and refusing to meet his gaze.

"Yes?" he answered in as neutral a tone he could manage. Catherine still flinched, but she took a deep breath and continued.

"I—um—I know that Tenna told you you were...scaring...me, and, um, I just wanted to—to thank you for stopping."

He considered her thoughtfully, not responding to her thanks. She began to fidget, looking up at the many dancing bodies she hovered close to the edge of, but he knew that she didn't want to join them.

"Why are you so afraid of me?" he suddenly asked. He hadn't meant to say it, but once the question left him, he wasn't unhappy.

Catherine looked startled. "I—I'm not afraid," she stuttered, meeting his gaze with wide eyes briefly before she impulsively looked elsewhere again. "I—I'm just not very comfortable around you."

"Why?" he pressed. The Human's behavior bothered him more than he thought, he realized. He waited silently for the struggling female to answer, making no effort to ease her troubles.

"It's—it's—" The Ki Breaker sighed, to compose herself, he thought. She was silent for a moment, then unexpectedly matched his stare with her own vivid black one.

"You have power," she began carefully. "Lots of it. And you're not even really aware of it, of how you affect everyone and everything around you. And it's scary," she admitted squarely, "especially when you actually use it." She shivered again, brought her arm even closer to herself.

He was contemplative of her words, finally breaking his eyes away from hers. Catherine waited, for his reaction, supposedly; as his silence stretched on, she returned to fidgeting.

Finally he sighed. "Sit," he said, motioning to the only chair that was unoccupied by coats or purses. She gulped, but visibly hastened to obey (much to his displeasure).

When she was as comfortable as she was going to get on his left side, he sighed again. Leaning forward enough to place his elbows on the table, he ran a hand over his face.

"I am aware of how powerful I am, Catherine-san," he began. He allowed his hand to join its mate on the table's surface and gazed unseeingly into the crowd. "I need to be."

He paused here, inwardly debating what to tell her. Should he tell her the whole story, or edit it and hope she didn't pry? He decided to go with the latter.

"What do you know about Vorízentai the Valkyrie?" he asked first. Catherine acquired a blank look on her face, he watched out of the corner of his eye.

"Not much," she said honestly. "Only that everyone seems to either hate her or view her as a...a nuisance."

"That's pretty much it," he agreed. "There's a reason for that. As a Valkyrie, Vorízentai has the ability to delve into a person's heart and see his deepest and darkest secrets. Normally, this ability is used to heal or at least straighten out a person who is soul-shattered, but Vorízentai uses this ability to gain holds over people, to subject them to her will.

"She does this by promising her prey she'll fulfill his (or her) desires, and then luring him in as neatly and as patiently as the spider does the fly."

He would have gone on with his explanation, but Catherine interrupted. "What was your wish?"

"Hm?" he inquired, automatically turning his head and looking up. He caught Catherine's eyes quite accidentally on his part, breaking the rule he'd set for himself weeks ago, but Catherine didn't flinch. Instead she repeated, "What was the wish she lured you in with?"

He discovered that Catherine was nearer to him than he could ever consciously remember her being. In fact, she had her hand on his arm, touching him quite without any inkling she was doing so. Her eyes were lit with some unidentifiable emotion, despite the gentleness of her voice.

Caught by this, he unthinkingly answered her question. "Not to feel so alone."

She drew in a breath at his declaration. Understanding replaced the unfathomable expression in her eyes, and she blinked at last. He looked down at his hands, which Catherine's other hand now touched. Impulsively he separated his fingers (when had they clenched together so tightly? he wondered) and allowed the delicate limbs to slip between his, then re-clasped them, but gently, so he didn't break the fragile joints.

He found his voice again when he realized he'd been studying the contrast Catherine's hand made resting between his. Clearing his throat, he thought quickly back to his original train of thought.

"Anyway..." he restarted, hoping he didn't look too shaken, "When I was with Vorízentai, I no longer felt alone, true, but I felt powerless instead. Vorízentai is not the easiest person to get along with, and when she was...upset, she was very abusive. Not physically or verbally," he clarified, still looking down, "but emotionally and energy-wise.

"In other words," he said, unsure of why he was spilling this much to the girl who was so "uncomfortable" around him that she became something close to a klutz the moment she saw him, especially when he was Kakkhanadorisainkai, but knowing he was doing so anyway, "she would ruthlessly plunder my heart and drain me of all of my energy at the same time. I would become a shaking wreck every time she did this, and I would come home nearly comatose.

"My friends," he indicated Tenna, who was dancing nearby with an electric-blue haired male demi-griffin, "were all concerned, tried to convince me many times to leave Vorízentai, but I couldn't. I wouldn't. I didn't care that the Valkyrie abused me; when she took away all my energy and had my heart torn to pieces, all I could feel was nothing. No pain, no anger, no apathy, nothing. I became addicted to this feeling, so much so that I even began to upset her on purpose, just to feel that way."

He smiled wryly. He had raised his gaze to Catherine's again, had held it for the past two sentences. "Of course, Vorízentai would deny that _she_ lured me in. She would say instead that I went to her, that I initiated our relationship. That's true, in a way," he confessed. "I kissed her first. But she was the one to seek me out, recognizing the chaos in my heart and fully ready to take advantage of it."

He sighed. "In effect, I have to be powerful," he explained to Catherine's empathetic gaze. "If I don't, Vorízentai would try to overpower me again. It was nothing short of a miracle that made me realize that I was better off without the Valkyrie in the first place; if she got me again, I'm pretty certain I would not be able to throw her off ever again."

Catherine nodded, understanding exactly what he was saying. "I understand," she said redundantly, squeezing his hand that she held. "I do."

"I know," he reassured her. "You don't need to tell me. I know."

He felt raw from telling her what ended up being almost the entire story after all. It was the fact that she had listened to everything without flinching that had compelled him to tell her; even now she was silent, gently tracing her thumb over the back of his hand.

So it was a surprise to him when she asked, without preamble or warning, "Will you be my friend?"

He stared at her, hardly believing his ears. She stared back; he could almost feel her willing him to answer.

He drew in a sharp breath at the intensity of her reaction. The question itself undid him, unwrapped all of the layers that covered him to stare at his true self in just five—yes five—just five words. And yet—and yet the word did not attack him or even harm him, but smiled gently at him and reached out a welcoming hand.

With mixed emotions, suspicion, hesitancy, and an awful yearning, he rose to accept the hand, to voluntarily come out of his dark shell into the blinding light-filled world—and found he could see.

"Sure, I'd like that," he heard himself say. A smile tugged on his lips as surprise preceded relief, then happiness in Catherine's face, and she smiled in return.

"All right," she responded, and the bond between them was complete. He still felt vulnerable around her, but this was new to him, this tentative beginning of what looked to be an open and careful friendship. It didn't feel careful, not when Catherine moved her chair so that she could lay her head on his shoulder, but it was.

It existed in this moment now, resplendently vibrant in the midst of the darkened lights of Los Sueños Dorados, but would it fare as well in the brighter light of midday tomorrow?

He didn't know. He didn't care at the moment; he was willing savor the instant and go slowly into the future.

They would neither move nor talk for the rest of the night.

:-:-:-:

A/n: Whew! I finally got another update out. Thanks to **supersaiyaman** for telling me not to give up even with so few reviewers. It helped wake up to the fact that I wasn't updating **OR **writing! Whoops! Sorry about that!

What do you guys think about this chapter, then?

:-:-:-:

SNEAK PREVIEW OF: Caught

They were in Yttrium, where they thought they might have been safe, because, as Tenna explained to a wide-eyed Catherine, "it's a gay bar that also accepts straight people." Ilowe further clarified the explanation by adding, with a scowl, "The Valkyrie hates gay people. Won't go anywhere near them." Tenna shot the Nightmare a sympathetic look, which told Catherine all that she needed to know.

:-:-:-:

Yes, there are mentions of gay people in the next chapter. Those who don't like that sort of thing, it's in the last part of the chapter, which you can skip. There will be a summary for you if you do so.

Thanks to **Lov3the3vil**, **lpgohanfanatic**, and **supersaiyaman** for reviewing! Thanks to **nevtanis** for adding this story to his/her Story Alerts. Here's your reward:D

Bye-bye,

**TheShadowPanther** and Allati, from **AASN**

**AASN;** Writing is what we do for you at **AASN**. Enjoy.

_Updated 11.05.07_


	6. Chapter Five: Caught

**Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper**

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha!

Warning: Mentions of homosexual people in this chapter and the beginning of the next. If you don't like, then I'd advise you to skip the last part of this chapter. Don't worry, I'll tell you what happens. (No, there is no slash/shounen ai/yaoi or fem-slash/yuri in this story. Just homosexual people.)

Chapter Five: Caught

The next midday started off rather smoothly. Kakkhanadori arrived from the Basilica Officii with his long overcoat draped over his arm, revealing a white blouse with black trousers in a rare moment of informality. He stood for a moment observing Tenna and Ilowe chasing each other around the Plaza Fountain, during which a voice called to him:

"Kakkhanadori, over here!"

He looked to see Catherine waving at him; surprise twisted into him that the Human did not appear to be afraid of him. He started in her direction with the wonder if the apparent breakthrough that had happened last night really was that, a breakthrough.

"Hi," Catherine said when he was within speaking range.

"Hey," he returned. The Human was sitting at one of the HTC's outdoor tables, complete with an umbrella that held off only the sun, never rain, here in the Demon Dimension. Noting this, he proceeded to ask, "Why are we sitting out here instead of inside?"

"Because Tenna felt like 'a little fresh air,'" Catherine answered, meeting his eyes a little shyly. "Her words, not mine."

Kakkhanadori smiled a little at that, thinking it sounded a lot like Tenna. His smile apparently set Catherine a little more at ease, for she pointed out a chair for him to sit in.

He started, not realizing he was still standing. Reaching for the chair, he settled his coat over the back of it before sinking into it with a sigh.

"Long day?" Catherine asked. He looked up to find sympathy in her posture.

"Sort of. More tedious than anything else," he answered. Catherine nodded, accepting that answer, then began tracing patterns on the surface of the table. Recognizing the signs for what they were, he sighed.

The Human, hearing this, smiled apologetically; he motioned for her to speak.

"Um," Catherine hummed. "You're sure?" When he nodded patiently, she self-consciously tucked a strand of hair behind her hair. "I have a couple questions," she began, looking at him as if she were expecting him to refuse, "about last night."

He nodded, having anticipated this. He was impressed Catherine would actually ask him. "Fire away," he encouraged, motioning again for her to continue.

Appearing surprised, the Human cast him another look. "Ah," she said, apparently gathering her wits, "about...Vorízentai." She looked over to see if Kakkhanadori would react negatively to this, but he didn't. She continued, hesitantly, "You told me she is supposed to heal soul-shattered people?" Kakkhanadori nodded, a small smile peeking out onto his face. "Were _you_ soul-shattered?"

"I'm impressed that you would ask me _that _question" was all he said. Instantly Catherine began to dither.

"I'm sorry! I thought it was too personal, but I really didn't think you'd mind—"

He interrupted firmly. "It is too personal," he informed the Ki Breaker, his hands up to halt any more protest from her, "but I don't blame you for asking." He watched Catherine take a deep breath. "Continue," he requested when he thought the Human was sufficiently calmed. He had to reiterate his command a second time, exasperated, when Catherine only stared at him dumbly.

"How did you actually get away from Vorízentai the Valkyrie?" she blurted out. Kakkhanadori smirked as she immediately put a horrified hand over her mouth, but answered calmly.

"Yoki, you know him, he's the Grim Reaper, he summoned the Mages. They worked with him and the other Horsemen to break the spell Vorízentai had on me, after first trying to convince me to break it on my own."

"Is that why you had the Mages do that ritual on your ki center?" Again the Lady Ki Breaker had asked a question without thinking beforehand. Instead of easing the other's embarrassment, Kakkhanadori decided to add to it.

"Tenna tells you everything, doesn't she?" he said matter-of-factly. Catherine blushed; he again withstood her protests.

"To answer your question, yes," he said when the protests finally died down. "Keep going."

The Human stared at him, seemed on the verge of exploding outwards with another spontaneous question, but, to his amusement, she convulsively swallowed it down. In its place, she queried:

"How exactly does Vorízentai the Valkyrie"—the phrase rolled off her lips as automatically as anybody else's when said Valkyrie was absent—"lure someone in? Does she start influencing your thoughts or control your behavior or what? How does she do it?"

He nodded. "It's very subtle," he said. "She actually appears in your dreams, first to determine what your heart's desire is, then to start promising whatever it is to you if you'd just fall to her. For me, she also began to befriend me, worming her tentacles deeper into my ki center the closer she got to me—well, I said I kissed her first, and I did. That was my fall to temptation, and it lead to my ruin."

"Did you know she was taking you over?" Catherine looked fascinated, an emotion that Kakkhanadori did not blame her for having, even as much as he wanted to tell her to curtail it. Still, he gave the current question its due share of thought.

"You know, I think I actually did," he revealed slowly. "I just didn't care at the time. I had other things to be concerned about."

"Because you were soul-shattered?"

Wryly, he looked into Catherine's bright eyes. "Yes," he said, his expression carrying over into his voice. Catherine looked at him quizzically for five seconds before her question caught up with her and made her blush again.

"I'm sorry!" she cried, obviously frustrated with herself. "I don't mean to—"

"I know," he cut her off again. "It seriously doesn't matter to me. You don't have to apologize for every little thing, Catherine-san."

"Why don't you ever use one of my nicknames?"

He looked up. "Sorry?" he inquired, not certain he heard the question right. Catherine's cheeks turned even redder, if it was possible.

"It's just—" she stammered, "you've known me for over two months, yet you're still calling me –san."

"Do you want me to call you Nay?" he asked almost incredulously. What—

"Well, no," the Human said, dispelling his worry. "It just kind of hurts that you're still so formal with me."

"That's interesting," blinked Kakkhanadori, who was "formal", as Catherine called it, because it was part of his very nature. "What do you want me to call you instead?"

She paused, as if she were surprised Kakkhanadori was taking her seriously. "How about just Catherine?"

The request/plea took him aback. Before he could think about it, he had already said, "I'm not so sure about that. What about Catherine-chan, or Nay-chan in a stretch?"

"Nay-chan?" asked a curious Catherine.

"Nay-chan," Kakkhanadori confirmed. "Cath-chan's a bit of a mouthful, don't you think?"

"Well, yeah, I guess." Now it was Catherine's turn to be taken aback. He really wished the Ki Breaker would relax around him sometimes. He wouldn't feel like such a monster then.

"Nay-chan it is," he stated in place of this thought. "Any more questions?"

"Oh! Um, yeah."

"Fire away," he requested, inclining his head almost regally. He received another disbelieving stare, but he collected another question as per his command.

"How exactly did you meet Tenna and the others? Tenna won't tell me, she says I have to ask you."

"How considerate of her," he said coolly. Catherine, who had seemed almost defiant when she had asked the query, abruptly deflated.

"Is this too personal too?" she queried almost querulously. He nearly snorted in amusement at this; clearly Catherine really did want to know the answer to this.

"Yes," he retorted, mostly to hide his mirth, but softened the edge of his tone with "Sorry, Nay-chan."

He considered the surprised smile the girl gave him as hard-earned. Nevertheless, she did say softly, "It's okay. I don't mind."

He did snort this time. "Yes, you do," he contradicted her casually. He sighed. "Look, I'll tell you someday, all right? When I know you better."

"Promise?" Her tone was wheedling.

"Absolutely not," he snapped, finally fed up with this. "I don't make those sorts of promises."

"Good," asserted Catherine in a highly uncharacteristically hard tone. "They're too easy to break."

Tension and awkwardness hung between them now, as Kakkhanadori eyed the other Human. For the first time, he began to truly wonder what hardships his Human acquaintance had lived through, especially to put such a hard tone of fatalistic certainty into her voice. He'd known she'd come to the Demon Dimension for her own protection, that she wore a glamour to hide her true face, but he had never really stopped to consider _why_—

"I have one more question to ask," Catherine's quiet voice pronounced. Seeking to lighten the situation, he intentionally rolled his eyes and stated sarcastically:

"Oooh."

"Oh, be quiet," Catherine automatically said to him. When she caught his smirk, she gawked at him. "Did you—?"

"Yes," he said, his mouth twisting. He smirked again when she had to check her movement, a movement that seemed suspiciously like a slap on his arm. "What's your question?"

She grew quiet again. It took her a few moments, but she finally said, "How long have you known Yoki and the other three? I mean, how do you meet people as scary as they are and not run away screaming? They're the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse!"

"And that makes them different from the demons of the City, how?" Kakkhanadori pointed out levelly. "_They're_ supposed to be scary, yet you don't seem to be bothered by them."

"Well, no, but—"

"I know what you're saying. I just—they're my...friends, if you will, and hearing people call them scary doesn't sit too well with me. Demons either, for that matter." He ran his fingers through his hair.

"You really do value your friends, don't you?"

"What?" He stared at her through his fingers, incredulous. She blanched.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," she stumbled. She rose from her seat agitatedly. "I—I've been terribly rude to you. I—"

"No, Cathe—" he started, holding out a hand, but the Human continued on, not so blithely ignoring him.

"I-I'm going to join in on the game with Tenna and Ilowe now, okay? I'm sorry again that I was so rude. Bye!"

She scuttled off towards the Fountain with alacrity, leaving him to call "Catherine-san!" after her in amazing futility.

When the Human had caught up with the distant forms of Tenna and Ilowe, all he could do was lean back in his chair and ask, at the heights of confusion, "What was _that_ all about?"

:-:-:-:

In the end, it turned out that Vorízentai was sentenced to only a week of magical arrest and restricted house arrest, i.e. she couldn't go out of her residence by day. Only at night was she allowed to roam, which was almost as useless as not house-arresting her at all, for it was usually at night that the Valkyrie used her allure the most.

The outrage at the news was tempered by the realization that the "Soul Sucker" would not have her allure this time around. For a week the entire City had a chance to get accustomed to the female terror in a relatively safe way.

Once the week was over, however, then the true game of caution would begin.

By mutual assent, the five friends avoided going to their favorite haunts by night, and even then they did not go alone. In the event that they _did_ go somewhere after sunset, they kept a wary eye out and did not stay long.

For the most part of that week, they gathered after sunset in Tenna's apartment (which was almost not big enough for all five of them) and threw the "most riotous parties" according to Ilowe, who had been attempting to imitate a relative of his with a hippie accent. In these parties, Kakkhanadori taught Catherine the finer points of video game controls, which they used against each other in furious car races on Tenna's prized television that no one else was interested in.

These efforts at Vorízentai-evasion almost succeeded at their goal. I say almost, because it was the second-to-last day of the Valkyrie's punishment that she caught them, or more accurately, Kakkhanadori.

They were in Yttrium, where they thought they might have been safe, because, as Tenna explained to a wide-eyed Catherine, "it's a gay bar that also accepts straight people." Ilowe further clarified the explanation by adding, with a scowl, "The Valkyrie hates gay people. Won't go anywhere near them." Tenna shot the Nightmare a sympathetic look, which told Catherine all that she needed to know.

As three of them pinned on plaques that said "Sorry, I'm Straight" (except for Ilowe and Hodaia, the latter of which put on a "Hi, I'm Questioning" tag), there was a commotion at the door. One look at who the cause was, and the entire group had surged into the bowels of Yttrium. That is, the bright rainbow-colored bowels of Yttrium.

"This alone ought to scare her off," muttered Kakkhanadori almost savagely. His face had again begun the transformation into stone, but there was still an itsy bit of the real Kakkhanadori peeking through. Tenna smiled evilly.

"Chain Tag! You're it!" she cried. She flicked Kakkhanadori on the arm before she dodged into the crowd. Ilowe and Hodaia quickly vacated the premises also; the only one left was Catherine.

Without a moment's hesitation, the Legendary Lord touched the Lady Ki Breaker on the shoulder. "Tag," he said emotionlessly. Catherine gawked at him, but he was already blurring into nonexistence—

"Hey! That's not fair!" she shouted into the empty air. A snicker was her only answer. Grumbling, she set off in Ilowe's direction, hoping against hope that the Nightmare would make this easy on her.

Minutes later, she had tagged Ilowe, who had captured Daia, who had snuck up beautifully on Tenna, who was now looking for Kakkhanadori. While her best friend did so, Catherine wove in a counter-clockwise direction away from her, trying to find a place where Kakkhanadori couldn't find her easily. The loud music beat in her ears like a drum in her ribs, the flashing lights danced over everything and everybody, distorting them as she fought her way around the beanbag chairs and the numerous low-slung tables, not to mention the people who lounged in them, around them, and around the people around the furniture. After one such fight, in which a nametag-less swan-girl's eyes had lingered intently on her own "Sorry, I'm Straight" plaque, she straightened up for a breather.

She was next to a staircase that led to the upstairs tables and the semi-alcoholic bar Yttrium trumpeted, but she didn't want to go there. Instead she pivoted in the other direction, promptly gasped, and clapped her hands over her mouth.

Vorízentai the Valkyrie had just found Kakkhanadorisainkai, the Legendary Lord.

:-:-:-:

Notes

yttrium (ĭt'rē-əm) _n._ _Symbol_ Y "A silvery metallic element, not a rare earth but occurring in nearly all rare-earth minerals, used in various metallurgical applications, notably to increase the strength of magnesium and aluminum alloys." (New College Edition of the American Heritage Dictionary 1486)

…In other words, a chemistry element that sounds cool and perfect for a gay + straight people bar title. The "strengthening of magnesium and aluminum alloys" isn't a bad metaphor either. LOL.

Summary of the last part of the chapter for those who skipped: Within the gay + straight people bar Yttrium (which they chose because Vorízentai is hugely homophobic, and also because Yttrium is decorated like a brightly colored rainbow), Tenna started up a game of Chain Tag. Kakkhanadori tagged Catherine, who tagged Ilowe, who tagged Hodaia, who has to get Tenna, and so on.

(Chain Tag is where the person who is "It" can only tag one other person, and that is the person that they tagged the first time they were "It". The person who is the "victim" of the current It has to do everything possible to evade the current It or they are It and have to search out their victim.)

Tenna was tagged by Hodaia in the last round, so she has to tag Kakkhanadori. Catherine attempts to find a place to hide so that Kakkhanadori won't be able to find her easily when he is tagged. In the process, she sees that Vorízentai has finally captured Kakkhanadori...

:-:-:-:

A/n: There! Sorry for the long wait, but I finally have time enough (and regular reviewers enough) to update. It's snowing outside currently, and everyone is excited about it except me. It's cold, slippery, and WET, who cares about it?! Apparently everyone does. (Sigh) Ridiculous...

Right! So what does everyone think about this chapter? As promised, I updated when **lpgohanfanatic** updated. I apologize for holding the chapter hostage, but I really didn't want to update without everyone here on the same page... (Bows) I beg your forgiveness.

:-:-:-:

SNEAK PREVIEW OF: Freed.One

It was small wonder why the Legendary Lord was angry with the Lady Ki Breaker. Catherine had thinned down considerably, she had dark circles around her eyes, and she looked exhausted. Moreover, she had that disgustingly familiar taint to her **presence** that told him exactly _why_ she looked this way.

:-:-:-:

Thanks to **Lov3the3vil**, **supersaiyaman**, and **lpgohanfanatic** (DRILL TEAM?! AWESOME! Ha, retail + holidays exhaustion (for everybody)) for reviewing! I hope to see you next time!

Ciao,

**TheShadowPanther** and Allati, from **AASN**

**AASN;** Writing is what we do for you at **AASN**. Enjoy.

_Updated_ _12.7.07_


	7. Chapter Six: FreedPointOne

**Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper **

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha!

Warning: Mentions of homosexual people again in this chapter. There might be some femme-slash/yuri if you squint/read between the lines, but only if you do that. If you don't like, then I suggest you skip ahead to the first section break, after which the story proceeds as normal, or as normal as this story ever gets. (Muahahah...) There will be, faithfully, a section at the end summarizing the important (and not-so-important) stuft. I hope you enjoy. (Bows)

Chapter Six: Freed.One

She stood, frozen, against the garish yellow-and-pink backdrop of the wall behind her, watching Kakkhanadori stoically withstand Vorízentai's manhandling him. It was clear to her that Kakkhanadori wanted to be everywhere except where he was now, but that he would do nothing to the Valkyrie while her magic was bound.

She had eyes only for the entirely blank look on Kakkhanadori's face, his drifting eyes, and his stiff-yet-relaxed posture. She could only see the tension that Vorízentai's hands, drifting over his chest and shoulders, created, and how dearly the Valkyrie wanted to take Kakkhanadori for her own, but couldn't.

Then the Legendary Lord turned his head—and found her. His eyes bore into hers mercilessly for a moment, long enough to make her think about looking away, then unexpectedly broke, changing into a different emotion entirely—she tentatively termed it as gratitude—though his face did not undergo the same change. They stared at each other for a minute, then Catherine was visibly struck with an idea.

Forcibly removing her gaze from Kakkhanadori's, she bent instead towards the girls on the modernistic couch behind her. After a quick conferral and many hand gestures at the oblivious Vorízentai (who was now wrapping her hands around Kakkhanadori's neck and trying to get him to dance with her), the girls exchanged evil looks with each other. Straightening up, Catherine watched proudly and not a little anxiously as the three girls approached the unnatural coupling of Kakkhanadori and Vorízentai.

The Saiyan watched them come curiously, not understanding what they were about to do. One of the girls, the leader, flicked her hair behind her back, while the swan-girl Catherine had encountered earlier tapped the Valkyrie on her bare shoulder. As she swung around, Catherine was able to see what she had hoped for: Vorízentai had no plaque.

She had to clap a hand over her mouth at her own audacity as the third girl, a black-haired gym trainer, took a firm hold of Vorízentai's bicep and began bodily dragging her away. The swan-girl glanced back at Catherine questioningly, to which the Human waved a discreet thumbs up. The leader flicked Kakkhanadori's plaque with something of a challenge in her gaze, but the Legendary Lord only stared down at her with a raised eyebrow and made no move to accept the challenge.

With a sulky huff, the girl moved away, snapping the swan-girl's attention to her departure, and Kakkhanadori was free to approach Catherine.

He stopped in front of her, lifted a hand, put the limb on her shoulder, and said, very solemnly, "Tag."

For precious seconds, she goggled at him. "What?" she was finally able to squeak. "After all that—"

But Kakkhanadori was smirking. "Calm down," he said, very nearly laughing as Catherine almost exploded in frustration. "I'm teasing you. Tenna hasn't tagged me yet."

He really did laugh when she made motions as if to strangle him. It was...a shock to hear him laugh, to actually have evidence that he was capable of it, Catherine thought. He seemed human when he laughed, not like the piece of petrified wood he'd been imitating even just minutes ago.

The time had passed for her to formulate a proper response to Kakkhanadori's laugh, so they lapsed into a companionable silence where they stood, two straight people in a circle of gay and bisexual persons. Kakkhanadori looked at her with an odd look on his face, as if he were seeing her in an entirely new light. She could appreciate this, having had an epiphany herself just moments ago—

"Thanks," she heard Kakkhanadori say quietly. He smiled a little at her surprise. "I needed a familiar face."

So it had been gratitude.

"You're welcome," she managed to say. Kakkhanadori nodded a little, seemed satisfied. "Come on," he said, jerking his head to the bar upstairs. "Let's get some seats."

"Sure," she responded far more casually than she believed possible. As she turned to follow, she caught a glimpse of a murderous-looking plum-haired woman—

—who was staring directly at her.

:-:-:-:

The next night was much the same as the last, only Kakkhanadori managed to escape by darting out the side door of Los Sueños Dorados and disappearing shortly thereafter. Catherine didn't know where he went, but when he returned hours later, long after Vorízentai had left, he was quiet and nostalgic.

No one pressed him for details.

That night was also the night that her sleep became disturbed.

:-:-:-:

_The mission he'd been on for the last two weeks was about to end today. He paced away from the legendary creature of this world he'd had to imprison with some emotion akin to relief and a little sadness. The Wattori, as the blue, fish-scaled, hornless unicorn creature was called, was a fascinating being. _

_It had the power of sound magic and could do almost anything with it except free itself from his force field, layered so that the spherical nature of his power could not break through the force fields evenly. This was so he could hold it—the Wattori—for as long as he needed to, even with the constant repairs of the damages that the bearded horse's impressive strength wreaked daily. _

_The Wattori itself was very intelligent, and he'd discovered quite accidentally that its scales were malleable, much like gold or silver, and could be bent with enough heat into any shape that he desired. He hadn't figured out yet if the scale was heat-conducting, but he had a feeling he wouldn't need to. The scale had come from a living organism after all. _

_In any case, it was all ending today. In a matter of minutes, a carriage was to arrive to, quote "depart him unto the first Sorcerer's Council into two days in Commenshire, the county next over" unquote. It was an excuse this, but it would do to allow the events following to occur. _

_He himself would never reach the Sorcerer's Council (for that had been what he had been playing—a sorcerer interested in legendary creatures), nor would the Council itself occur, for unnatural flooding would descend upon Commenshire and wipe the Witches' Tower out. Everyone else in Commenshire would survive, but tales about divine interference would be traded, tales saying how the deity of magic, Dextros, had been angry with the gathering of sorcerers over improper fealty. _

_In his "absence", meanwhile, the Wattori would be freed by a young man of undiscovered magic who would be rewarded by being inducted into the Wattori's Riders—a cult that would in several years see action in the escort of the Wattori and its bonded, an enchantress, to the Vlasmoun, the ancient academy of sorcery this world offered. _

_Destinies would be wrought and fulfilled, loved ones would die but leave something of themselves behind, and two people would finally come together after forcible blocks had been removed. Two other people would discover in themselves the strength to move on, and the world would slowly turn upon its axis once more. _

_All this would happen because he was climbing into an old-fashioned carriage that would help him leave this world for his and the reality that faced him there. Casting another glance at his "prize," he smiled indulgently at the expression of loathing the unicorn-without-a-horn favored him with. _

"_Do not worry, Lord Wattori, you will come to like me in time. Think of all the spells I have at my disposal to lull you into a state of obedience and make you mine for a time. While these spells are in place, I will bond to you, and then, little Wattori, you will not be able to escape me...ever." _

_He rapped the top of the carriage to tell his manservant to drive on. He kept his eyes on the Wattori, smug in the face of its hatred, until the carriage reached the end of the drive, when he could see its yellow gaze no more. The carriage turned and passed by the hedge bordering his estate, and this was the place from which the carriage would never return. _

Instead he emerged into the Dispensary Area of the Dimension Keeper Headquarters and gazed about at all the lives that were gathered here. Since he'd been in relative isolation for the past two weeks, playing the part of the elitist sorcerer, the crush of bodies and ki was both intrusive and soothing, especially when his colleagues noted his reappearance.

'_Kakkhanadori! You've returned!'_ one cried. Another congratulated him on a job well done, starting off a rush of others doing the same, until Jojo, the Keeper currently manning the dispatcher's booth, yelled at them to get back to work. Kakkhanadori followed Jojo's orders with the rest of them and stepped back into a portal for his next destination.

He blinked, only to see the smooth façade of the Basilica Officii looming in front of him. He dipped his head into a bow, in deference to the Lady's wishes, and turned to leave. He had made it across the Market Plaza before the reason for his early discharge from his Keeper duties became clear.

'_Catherine!'_ he thundered, striding quickly to the stall owned by Ghedi, who sold medicines. When said Earthling swung around, astonished, he demanded, _'How long have you been under attack by Vorízentai the Valkyrie?' _

Catherine turned pale. Ghedi, himself a few shades lighter red, asked, _'She's under attack by the Valkyrie?'_ When Kakkhanadori nodded, settling his hand firmly around the Human's arm, Ghedi spoke wonderingly. _'Now wonder none of my medicines worked for you, milady. Not much other than magic can get you out of her clutches.'_

Catherine gulped again under Kakkhanadori's dark glare. _'Thank you, Ghedi,'_ the Saiyan said to the Vendor. _'We'll excuse ourselves now and go to the people who can really help her.'_ Ghedi nodded to him respectfully, freeing him to drag Catherine away with all formalities met.

'_I can walk,'_ protested Catherine, jerking her arm fruitlessly in the other's grasp. She fell silent under Kakkhanadori's quelling glance, but he did drop her arm. As a result, she had to nearly run to keep up with his furious pace, instead of being dragged along with it. _'Where are we going, anyway?'_

'_Demonic Parks,'_ he bit off.

'_That's where Tenna works.'_

'_Yes.'_ Again his tone was clipped.

It was small wonder why the Legendary Lord was angry with the Lady Ki Breaker. Catherine had thinned down considerably, she had dark circles around her eyes, and she looked exhausted. Moreover, she had that disgustingly familiar taint to her **presence** that told him exactly _why_ she looked this way.

'_Why haven't you been collecting energy like the Ki Breaker you are?'_ he suddenly demanded. Before Catherine, startled, could reply, he informed her, _'It would have helped stave her off so you wouldn't be like this.' _He indicated her unhealthy form. _'Now I have to yell at Tenna for not noticing.'_

'_She _did_ notice!'_ Catherine cried. '_She was the one to tell me to get the medicine from Ghedi in the first place! She was really worried—'_

'_That doesn't excuse her for failing to know Vorízentai was behind this!'_ Kakkhanadori roared at her, still pacing at a furious pace. _'She is as capable of sensing ki as I am, she should have known—' _

The truth slammed into him with all the force of the _Tiara_ traveling at the speed of light. _'You don't _have_ a ki signature,'_ he said, his tone matching his face in its terrible realization. _'All this time I've only been sensing your __**presence**__—' _He covered his forehead with a hand. _'I'm an idiot. An idiot!' _

He took off again, no less urgent in his energy. Catherine stumbled after him again; confusion hit him as a tidal wave from her **presence**. Ignoring that, he reached back to capture her hand and tugged her the rest of the way to the Demonic Parks.

'_Tenna!' _he called out. The brown face belonging to his friend whirled around at his summons. _'How long has Catherine been sick like this?'_

'_About a week and a half,'_ Tenna said, hurrying over to them. _'Do you think it's Vorízentai—'_

'_Yes.'_ Tenna withheld a sob only by virtue of covering her mouth. _'Is it because Catherine has no ki signature that you couldn't tell for sure?' _Kakkhanadori asked, releasing Catherine to grasp the Drake by her shoulders. Tenna nodded, still looking as if she were about to cry.

'_I couldn't call you because you were on that mission of yours, and Daia and Ilowe and I don't have the necessary energy to drive her off on our own—I've just been so upset lately and hoping and praying you would come back before it was too late.' _

'_Why didn't you get an amulet from Practicalities?' _Kakkhanadori questioned. Catherine tugged on his arm to make him let go of Tenna. He looked at her distractedly before noticing that he was gripping Tenna so hard he was bound to leave bruises. In the absence of his grip, Catherine gathered Tenna into a tight embrace.

'_I did get her one!'_ Tenna insisted._ 'Show him, Nay.'_

The Human lifted the chain of a necklace that he hadn't noticed before; on the end of it hung a pendant of opal and white crystal.

'_That's the best they had?'_ Kakkhanadori took a closer look at the crystal. There was something else on it—

'_Yes,' _sobbed Tenna. _'I put a spell on it, hoping to strengthen it, but I'm only a Drake, not a full Dragon. I couldn't do much—'_

So that was what that was. Kakkhanadori dropped the ornament and straightened. _'You did your best, Tenna. If Catherine was sick for a week and a half, you managed to keep the Valkyrie from fully taking her over for a few days more than normal. Nice job.' _

Tenna looked hopeful, her face emerging from Catherine's shoulder to blink at him. _'You really think so?' _

'_Yes,' _he soothed. He sighed. _'It would have helped more if Catherine had been draining the energy she needed to keep herself healthy every day.' _

'_You didn't do that? Nay-chan!' _a stricken Tenna screamed at Catherine. She broke into sobs again, the tears coursing freely as she fought out of the Human's embrace and moved away. Kakkhanadori moved in to take Catherine's place, saying, _'Shh, it's all right. I don't know why Catherine didn't take the energy she needed—' _He shot said Ki Breaker a look saying "We'll talk about this", _'—but I'm sure she understands that she needs to now. So calm down, stop crying, and we'll talk to her and find out what's going on here. Okay?' _

Tenna nodded, wiping her khaki eyes free of their liquid. Reassured that she truly was calming down, Kakkhanadori nevertheless nodded his thanks when one of Tenna's patients, a fox demon by the name of Deshirudakitsune brushed against the Veterinarian relaxingly. Other demons joined in, such as Kotorimohebi the snake and Himenekuma the bear. Soon Tenna was petting the demons herself and thanking them for their concern.

'_As for _you_,'_ Kakkhanadori said to Catherine, fixing a stern gaze upon her, _'You have to be taken to task. What have you to say for yourself?'_

Tenna joined him in staring at her accusingly. Under the weight of the two stares, Catherine felt very small indeed. _'Um,'_ she stalled, shifting nervously as even the demons turned to stare at her. _'I don't like taking energy from things—'_

'_Why not? It's in your nature as a Ki Breaker,'_ Kakkhanadori said. Catherine just shook her head.

'_It's not—'_ she started helplessly, then shook her head again and hugged herself.

Kakkhanadori wouldn't let her avoid them so easily. _'It's not what?'_ he asked sharply. Catherine flinched; he didn't need the fierce glance Deshiruda shot him or Tenna's hand on his arm. Stepping to the Human, he lifted her chin with two fingers, looked at her eyes, asked again, _'What is it?'_ far more gently than last time.

She looked up at him with fear and a simultaneous need to confess. _'I—I'm afraid I might, um, kill…people by taking their energy,'_ she whispered. Her fear was genuine, he saw in her black eyes, and he would have addressed it had Tenna not interrupted.

'_Why would you feel that way? Did you take too much of someone's energy one time?' _

Catherine's eyes closed; she was lost to him. Kakkhanadori sighed and released her. There wasn't any use in trying to save the moment now; he'd just have to wait until she brought it up again or she started starving herself again. There was nothing they could do about Vorízentai attacking her, either, until the entire group gathered and came up with a plan to force the Valkyrie away.

In the meantime, he could still make Catherine an appointment with the right person and tell the Ki Breaker of it when the appropriate moment arrived.

Glancing at Tenna, he muttered to her mentally, 'Nice going.' At the Drake's confused expression, he elaborated. 'You've only reinforced her fear, not removed it.'

He turned around at that moment, missing whatever reaction Tenna might have had then, and caught up to Catherine. _'Let's go to the HTC and get ourselves something to eat. You look like you need it.'_

So saying this, he set off on the Road of the World, which would lead them back to the Market again. He had to stop, however, upon discovering that Catherine wasn't with him.

Instead she was still at the entrance of the Demonic Parks, looking anxious. _'What's wrong?'_ he called. _'Are you not hungry?' _

'_I am,'_ she responded. _'It's—I have to go to the Schools in an hour, and I need to change.' _

'_The Schools?'_ Kakkhanadori, having walked back to the Human by this point, raised an eyebrow. _'Are you interviewing there?' _

Catherine nodded. _'Signing up for one, at least. And it's such a long walk back to Tenna's apartment from here,'_ she complained. _'I'll never be able to make it in time.' _

'_Do you want me to City-zoom you there?' _

'_City-zoom?' _Catherine seemed puzzled. _'What's that? Is it at least faster than walking?'_ she added urgently.

Kakkhanadori smiled. _'It's much faster than walking,'_ he told her. Offering his arm, he requested that she hang onto it tightly, lest she get left behind.

Five minutes later saw them both at the foot of Tenna's apartment building. He smirked at the Human's surprised expression and bowed her through the door of the housing complex.

'_How did you do that?'_ Catherine asked, wide-eyed. _'That was really cool!' _

He smiled again. _'I talked to the City and asked It to take us here.'_

'_Can I do that?'_ the Human inquired excitedly.

'_I don't see why not,'_ said Kakkhanadori. Catherine was acting like a little girl, he thought to himself. It was nice to see her excited about something. _'You'll probably have to ask the Demon Gods, but I'm sure They wouldn't refuse you.'_

'_Do I really?'_ Catherine wrinkled her nose. _'They were frightening when I saw Them the first time. 'Course, the entire Dimension was frightening,'_ she said, blushing slightly for an inexplicable reason, _'but Them even more so.'_

'_Don't worry,'_ he reassured her, _'They're not always frightening. They just like to make a good first impression, inspire the right kind of respect, that's all.'_

'_That's funny,'_ Catherine smiled. _'Well, I'm going to go get ready. Thanks for helping me!'_ She waved at him, already halfway through the atrium, and disappeared into the hallway at the end.

'_Good luck,'_ he returned, but wasn't sure if she heard. Nevertheless, his words hung in the air, promising him they would come true for the Human they had been born for. Nodding politely to the words, he performed an about-face and headed out of the Seren Wanderlands on his way to Practicalities, determined that Catherine should have a better amulet than what she had.

And all this time, he thought to himself, not once had Catherine given any indication that she noticed the energy boost he had surreptitiously been pumping into her.

:-:-:-:

A/n: Happy belated Christmas to everyone out there that celebrates the holiday. This is my late holiday present: Distracted as I was, and still am, by the two new and _thick_ books I got for Christmas, I still felt like I should update. It's all for you, dear readers.

Since we are still at Yttrium at the beginning of this chapter, I shall summarize, once again, for those who don't like mentions of homosexuality: While Kakkhanadori was trapped within the embrace of our dearly hated Valkyrie, he found Catherine staring at him. His expression was stony for a bit, before it changed to something that Catherine thought was gratitude. Then Catherine, struck by an idea, turned to three gay girls nearby and sent them over to check if Vorízentai had a plaque or not.

It turns out she didn't, so the three lesbians dragged her away from Kakkhanadori, who in the meantime went over to Catherine and pretended to chain-tag her (but he was only teasing). Catherine had the happy occurence of making our beloved hero laugh, which, quote, made Kakkhanadori "seem(ed) human when he laughed, not like the piece of petrified wood he'd been imitating even just minutes ago." Then the Saiyan thanked Catherine for being there for him, saying that he needed a "familiar face" while Vorízentai had her grubby paws all over him (grr), and the chapter ends with Kakkhanadori suggesting they find seats at the bar.

:D

:-:-:-:

SNEAK PREVIEW OF: Freed.Two

'We need your help,' said the voice: He recognized it to be Tenna's. 'Vorízentai, she's—Catherine—'

'I'm on my way.' Kakkhanadori wasted no time. He was at the door of Tenna's apartment building and flashing up the stairs within the minute, and the next thirty seconds saw him fling open the door he wanted.

:-:-:-:

Thanks to **supersaiyaman**, **Lov3th3vil** (I'm getting those fic parts over to you soon!), and **lpgohanfanatic** for reviewing! I hope you had a merry Christmas, plenty of presents, and good company.

Sayonara,

**TheShadowPanther** and Allati, from **AASN**

**AASN;** Writing is what we do for you at **AASN**. Enjoy.

_Updated 12.28.07_


	8. Chapter Seven: FreedPointTwo

**Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper**

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha!

Chapter Seven: Freed.Two

He was unhappy to report to Tenna that no, he had not had better luck at acquiring a better amulet. Though displeased by the news, they were both cheered up, nevertheless, by Catherine's simultaneous excitement and nervousness over her interview, which was to be scheduled two days from now.

'_They're really not slow about these interviews, are they?'_ Ilowe remarked knowingly.

'_No,'_ Catherine asserted, laughing a little breathlessly. _'I'm kind of glad about that, but at the same time, I don't feel like it's enough time to get ready.'_

'_You'll be fine,'_ Tenna reassured, patting her on the hand. Kakkhanadori nodded his agreement, while Hodaia touched one finger to Catherine's bicep.

'_What kind of interview did you sign up for, a general one or a more specialized one?'_ Ilowe inquired, his eyes alight with curiosity.

'_A general one,'_ Catherine answered him. _'I went to university on Earth, but I didn't actually feel like I gained anything from my experience there.'_ From her grimace, Kakkhanadori thought that she had gained _something_, but not necessarily something positive. _'I'm hoping my second try will be better.'_

'_What did you major in on Earth?' _Kakkhanadori asked before the opportunity slipped away.

Catherine seemed surprised. _'Technically,' _she said, her face becoming wry, _'I'm a gourmet chef. I can make some pretty good dishes, but some—'_

'_A gourmet chef?' _Ilowe finally interrupted. He was ahead of Tenna and Hodaia, whose jaws were still hanging open. _'You can make Earthling food?'_

'_Well, yes,' _Catherine said, baffled by the reaction.

'_Are you any good at lunches and maybe dinners?'_ the Nightmare pressed, ignoring her confusion.

'_I guess. I never really got the chance to test my cooking skills...' _

'_We'd gladly test them for you,'_ Ilowe volunteered, a Cheshire cat smile changing his face. Tenna shot an excited look at Hodaia, who just glanced at her in return. Kakkhanadori merely shook his head at them.

'_They're hooked on Earthling food,'_ he explained to the Human. _'Ever since they tasted the waffles I randomly made one morning, they've been badgering me to make or bring them Earthling food for months.' _He ignored Tenna's slap on his arm for his choice of the word "badgering".

'_You can make waffles?' _Catherine's surprise was clear.

'_And pancakes, French toast, just about any breakfast thing you want. The only thing I can make for lunch is udon, and they get tired of having that every day.'_ This time he aimed an annoyed look at Ilowe, who returned it with interest.

'_Wow,'_ Catherine said admiringly. She sighed suddenly. _'My interests at the moment lie more in the direction of landscape design, though. I may go back to cooking, but...' _She shrugged.

'_Landscape design?'_ Tenna asked, clearly fascinated, but the moment was interrupted when a deep gong resounded. Five heads groaned in disappointment: The gong was the oddly-bent clock tower at the intra-City entrance, announcing the end of the midday lunch hour. The group had to split up.

'_Keep up your energy drains for the next couple of days, too, Catherine,'_ Kakkhanadori instructed her. Ilowe looked alertly between the two, while Hodaia already understood. Again, the Illusionist reached out to touch Catherine's bicep, using only the very tip of her finger.

With that, the group scattered. Tenna and Catherine headed one way, Ilowe another, and Hodaia came with Kakkhanadori on the trip to Gaits Lanaid. Kakkhanadori spotted Inu lurking in an alley, but restrained himself from calling out a greeting only due to the furtive look on the dog's face.

Once at Gaits Lanaid, they split up. Kakkhanadori received another round of welcome homes from his neighbors that he acknowledged right up to his doorstep, which he stepped through quickly. The two-week long mission, though not the longest he'd spent consecutively in another dimension, had tested his limits nevertheless by requiring massive amounts of energy discharge each day—

—as the couch in the living room observed when he crashed directly onto it without preamble.

He was woken hours later by a frantic voice hammering at the inside of his brain.

'Kakkhanadori! Kakkhanadori! Oh, please, please, wake up!'

'I'm up, I'm up.' He groaned as the attack subsided but left a headache in its wake. 'What do you want?'

'We need your help,' said the voice: He recognized it to be Tenna's. 'Vorízentai, she's—Catherine—'

'I'm on my way.' Kakkhanadori wasted no time. He was at the door of Tenna's apartment building and flashing up the stairs within the minute, and the next thirty seconds saw him fling open the door he wanted.

'_What's her status?' _he demanded of the duo in the living room, sliding the door home and moving quickly to join them. Tenna and Hodaia raised their eyes to him, Tenna's tear-stricken, Hodaia's clouded. Both pairs expressed relief at the sight of him.

'_Vorízentai has Catherine trapped in a dreamscape of her creation. As far as we can tell,'_ Tenna indicated herself as well as the Illusionist, who was moving with purpose toward the kitchen, _'the Valkyrie attacked her in the early stages of true sleep, somehow bypassing the amulet and my spell—did you give her energy?—and your energy, and—'_

The calm that Tenna had acquired by the time Kakkhanadori appeared cracked. He raised a hand to stop her and turned his head to study Catherine instead.

He had a sense of déjà vu as he stared down at her, as she, panting, tossed and turned. The feeling grew stronger when he reached down to touch her forehead—

'_Don't.'_ Tenna prevent his action with her own hand. _'Not yet, at least. We tried that already. Only made it worse.'_

He nodded. A cup of tea was thrust into his line of vision; he looked up at Hodaia and nodded his thanks.

'_Are we waiting for Ilowe?'_ he asked, blowing on his tea. Just that second, said Nightmare burst through the door. _'Am I the last one?'_ he called frantically. Seeing he was, he blabbered, _'I'm sorry, I was busy translating the last few pages of the old Goddish book that I completely lost track of time and my mental shields. Is she all right?' _

'_She will be now that you're here,' _Kakkhanadori said. He set aside the teacup and shifted over so that Ilowe could sit with them on the floor. Hodaia resumed her seat beside Tenna, creating a thin rectangle between the four of them with Catherine in the middle.

'_Ready?' _Tenna asked of all of them. Three heads answered her; she drew in a deep breath. _'Then let's begin.'_

Through some instinct, they all dived into Catherine's mind together. _Since its owner was absent, in a literal la-la land, the mindscape they discovered was disturbingly blank. It retained its depth and sense of change, but there was no color to it, no feeling, and, most worrisome of all, it looked grainy, as if the victim of a bad picture. _

'_It's creepy in here,'__ Ilowe commented, saying only what was on the other three persons' minds. __'Let's get her out of there quickly.'_

'_We should make more of an effort to get her out safely,'__ Kakkhanadori contradicted. _

'_And making sure that she can't be attacked mentally again,'__ Tenna added. _

_Before Ilowe could huff out his answer, Hodaia interrupted. __'He does make a point. Time _is_ short here.'__ The Nightmare gestured at his defender rather pointedly, but Kakkhanadori quelled him with a look. _

'_What's the plan?'__ he asked instead, rubbing his hands together. __'How are we going to find Catherine?' _

'_That's what we need to start with,'__ Kakkhanadori said. __'When you go anywhere within your mind, you leave a minuscule trail that anyone can follow if they know what they're looking for.'__ He scanned the area with sharp eyes. __'We need to assume that going _out_ of your mind does the same thing.'_

'_What would we be looking for?'__ Tenna inquired, also glancing carefully around. _

'_Little things, like bumps that shouldn't be there, fluctuations at odd times...'_

'_Bumps like these?'_

_They turned in Hodaia's direction and followed her line of sight. Kakkhanadori instantly agreed that yes, bumps like those were precisely what they wanted. These particular bumps were reminiscent of stepping stones, placed randomly here and there and with varying distances in between them. The second condition Kakkhanadori had stipulated as a "trail" occurred just then: It seemed for just a second as if the stepping stones were engulfed in a river, making the stones slippery and precarious..._

_The vision faded a second later, leaving the quartet blinking in its wake. They started soon enough on the trail, though Tenna had the idea of marking the beginning of the road so they could all tell if the had reached Catherine's mind once more. The trail led them on around a perceptible bend in the course, where they came face to face with a vertically-positioned maelstrom. _

'_Is this what you usually find when someone goes without her mind?'__ Ilowe asked, sounding hesitant. In doing so, he broke the ice and at the same time earned himself a glare from Kakkhanadori. __'What?'__ Ilowe asked defensively. __'I was only asking!'_

'_They say it's the wise man that asks questions,'__ Kakkhanadori said to Hodaia. They matched gazes for a second before both turning away and snorting. _

'_Let's go through this thing and see where it leads,'__ the Saiyan suggested before Ilowe could derail the situation any more. __'Keep your guard up; we don't want to be imprisoned with Catherine.'_

_He stepped through the maelstrom before anything else could be added. The violent _whoosh_ caught him off guard, causing him to put all senses on the alert. As a result, he instantly put up a ki shield when something came hurtling at him to meet his arrival...  
_

_Instead of the expected _thud_, the something managed to halt its progress before impact. He had a brief impression of birdlike wings before it zoomed away whence it came. _

_It had been gone but a second before Tenna stumbled out; Ilowe, spluttering, followed, and Hodaia brought up the rear with the beginnings of a satisfied look on her face. The traces vanished upon emerging from the maelstrom and seeing that she was about to be left behind. Ilowe cast a triumphant look over his shoulder and very nearly squawked when he noticed how close the Illusionist was to catching up. _

_It didn't matter anyway, for in a second or so they came upon the dreamscape. Finally turning serious, the quarter spread out along the edge of the haze acting as a barrier, and tried to see within. _

'_What is Vorízentai doing to her in there?'__ Tenna inquired, her worry breaking through to the surface again. No one answered her, for none of them could see what was going on. _

'_Do you think we should break through and try to stop whatever it is the Valkyrie's doing?'__ Ilowe asked. Though it was a more practical question than Tenna's, it got no more an answer than did its counterpart. Kakkhanadori finally shrugged and tried to put his hand through the barrier. _

_To his surprise, it went through easily. He retracted it quickly, in case he tripped a booby trap, but nothing seemed to happen. Encouraged, the other followed his example—_

—_but yelped in pain and surprise as the barrier refused them. __'Hey! What was that for, you rat barrier?'__'Ouch!'__, and a simple yelp of pain where the popular answers to the haze's challenge. _

'_Why didn't the barrier stop Kakkhanadori?'__ Ilowe asked, pointing at the Saiyan with his uninjured hand. __'What makes him so special?'_

_Again the Nightmare had ruined the moment. He failed to stop grinning even after Tenna slapped him on the shoulder and Hodaia flicked his ear. Kakkhanadori simply muttered __'Idiot'__ and left it at that. _

'_Maybe it's a fluke,'__ suggested Tenna. __'Try it again.'__ He did, and again the haze parted for his limb. There was silence after this feat; Tenna looked troubled. _

'_Well, I guess this means you'll have to go on by yourself. You can probably take care of yourself, but...'_

'_But try and figure out ways of breaking down the barrier. If you can't, then don't strain yourselves, but start thinking up ways of keeping Vorízentai out of Catherine's mind.'_

'_Ooh, that sounds more fun,'__ Ilowe snarked. __'I vote we do that first.'_

_Rolling his eyes, Kakkhanadori stepped through the ward. He had an impression of cool air on his skin and clothes, then moonlight struck him and illustrated the scene. _

_Catherine was settled in one of two chairs. She seemed unable to move from it, despite no bonds on her that he could see or sense. Instead her gaze seemed affixed on a single point in front of her, though whether she was horrified or enthralled, he couldn't tell. _

_He found out soon enough what held the Ki Breaker in transfixion so. Once he saw her, it was almost all he could do to blink and turn away again. And despite turning his head away from the Valkyrie, he couldn't block out the sounds or the smells of what was happening. Moans and groans, whimpering and low whispers of "please" drifted to his ears, accompanied by the bed creaking and increasing hitches of breaths, until—_

'_Arrghh!'__ The cry split the air, causing Catherine to jump, and faded into furious gasps for breath. The musky smell of sweaty flesh and the shared climax filled his nose. _

_He saw Catherine tense out of the corner of his eye. _

'_This act you have just witnessed,'__ Vorízentai's husky voice purred, __'can be within your ability to perform. It is your desire to have sexual power, is it not? Well, as you have just seen, I can teach you how to bring out that sexual goddess within you. Just give yourself to me—'_

Wrong tactic_, Kakkhanadori thought distantly. As if in accordance with his thoughts, he watched as something within Catherine snapped. The dreamscape lost its air of mystery, became harsher and more terrifying as Catherine's fear overcame the spell that had held her in place. The Human herself stumbled out of her chair and backed up quickly, still unable to keep her eyes off of the advancing Valkyrie, straight towards him—_

—_and collided with his chest just as Vorízentai tried to trap her again. Spinning around, Catherine clawed instinctively at him until he seized her elbows and she recognized his face. _

'_Kakkhanadori!'__ she gasped, instantly grasping at his shirt lapels. __'Get me out of here,'__ she pleaded, her eyes wild with desperation. __'Get me back home—'_

'_Gladly,'__ he told her, the only thing he said while within the dreamscape. Vorízentai screamed, a high, terrible sound, as they vaulted backwards out of the trap and through the haze once more. _

'_Catherine!'__ cried several voices at once. Kakkhanadori immediately shook his head frantically at them. Receiving the hint, the other three hurried with him and the stumbling Catherine to the maelstrom. _

_One glance cast back showed them that the haze was rapidly clearing, the indication that the dreamscape was dissolving. Soon Vorízentai would be able to chase after them—they had to install Catherine back into her mind quickly before the Valkyrie caught them all. If she caught them—_

_But she didn't. They dived as a group into the maelstrom and hurried along the trail of stepping stones until they reached the glittering stick in the mud that Tenna had placed as a marker—_

—_and spilled into a forest glen, overgrown and moss-floored, with giant trees encircling the clearing. Gasping, three fell into a heap and sought to catch their breath, while two remained standing only by virtue of the extraordinary balance of one of them. _

'_Quickly, Catherine, repeat after me,'__ Kakkhanadori told the sobbing Catherine still hanging on to him. She looked up at him, her body wracking with her sobs, but did as he said, stating haltingly: _

'_Vorízentai Dagmar Manto the Valkyrie, you have seen into the depths of my heart and know what lies there. You no longer have any power over me.'_

_She nearly crumpled when a huge burden lifted from her shoulders and brightened the dreary glen. Kakkhanadori held her up easily, saying, __'Shh, it's all right. You're safe now.'__ Catherine did fall then, hearing those words, but the Saiyan bore her weight without difficulty. _

'_Shh,'__ he repeated to her, encircling her with his arms. She buried her head into his neck and shoulder and hugged him tightly, clutching at his shoulder blades while she let out all the emotions she had held within for who knew how long. Instantly the other three were up and embracing the two of them in a group hug, Tenna from behind Catherine, Ilowe on one side and Hodaia the other. They lingered in this position for moments, allowing Catherine to cry herself out for as long as she needed to. When the Human had faded to drawing in deep breaths and red eyes instead of sobs and tears, they broke apart. _

'_Thanks, everyone,'__ Catherine hiccoughed, wiping at her eyes with her free hands. Tenna patted her hair soothingly; Ilowe rubbed her shoulder. Hodaia tapped the other shoulder with her index finger a third time; Kakkhanadori inclined his head. _

'_You're welcome,__' they said. The atmosphere was solemn before Kakkhanadori straightened. __'All right, everyone,'__ he said. __'Let's get moving. We still have work to do.'_

_Pointing at the fringes of the clearing, the Legendary Lord ordered, __'Tenna, erect a barrier of your own around Catherine's mind. Vorízentai shouldn't be able to reach us here after Catherine broke her spell, but we don't want to take any chances.'_

_Tenna nodded, her face determined rather than tear-tracked. She caressed Catherine's hair again for a few seconds before she hurried off. Ilowe was told to __'conjure up some suitably frightening creatures to guard the barrier—make sure they know to keep out all unwanted intruders at all costs.'__ The Nightmare rubbed his hands maniacally while muttering something to the effect of __'no problem'__ under his breath. _

_Hodaia was sent to put up the illusion of a barrier and to put as much reality into it as she could possibly manage. This was to give Tenna and Ilowe a little more room to work, while Kakkhanadori was going to give energy where it was needed. Hodaia gave a single nod and marched off to execute her task. _

_Catherine, for her part, was told to sit and relax as much as possible. Just then, an abstract creature Kakkhanadori had seen only once before bounded up to them. The Human tensed up again, but It only perched on her leg and leaned against her shoulder. It seemed to cock Its head at Kakkhanadori, who nodded gravely to it. _

'_Your pet will keep you company,'__ he said to her, giving no indication that he remembered said "pet". Maneuvering to his feet, he left her there, choosing instead to oversee the other three in their tasks._

:-:-:-:

A/n: Er, sorry for taking so long? Eep! (Hides)

:-:-:-:

SNEAK PREVIEW OF: Revealed

Though the both of them acted as per usual for the rest of the day, the coldness they displayed toward each other was unmistakable. Ilowe actually took Kakkhanadori aside and tried to interrogate him about what had happened, but the Saiyan said nothing. Catherine appeared only marginally more successful in her attempt with Tenna, but she kept quiet and instead tried to work around them to make the day as enjoyable as she could for all of them.

:-:-:-:

Thanks to **Lov3the3vil** and **lpgohanfanatic** for reviewing! Come back soon!

Sayonara!

**TheShadowPanther** and Allati, from **AASN**

**AASN;** Writing is what we do for you at **AASN**. Enjoy.

_Updated 02.03.08  
_(Happy belated New Year's!)


	9. Chapter Eight: Revealed

**Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper**

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha!

Chapter Eight: Revealed

When the quartet of Ilowe, Tenna, Kakkhanadori, and Hodaia finally left Catherine's mind, it was well into the tiny hours of the morning. Because of this, they were exhausted, but productively so. Tenna's barrier was solid and full of spells and dragon magic, which was combined with the essence of Catherine in the form of a lock of her hair and the ki of all five of them to ensure that the ward would not be easy to fell.

Ilowe had crafted six creatures to be guardians of this barrier, but in conjunction with Catherine's "pet" (as they had all taken to calling it), Catherine would have seven protectors of her mind, three without and four within.

So with the hell hound, the harpy, the basilisk, and Catherine's pet within the barrier (Ilowe said that the first two creatures represented Kakkhanadori and Catherine respectively) and the fire-maned horse, the small dragon, and the sphinx (Ilowe, Tenna, and Hodaia in that order) without the ward, the quartet felt that their work there was done.

Hodaia did leave her illusionary barrier up, as it would make it easier for the creatures to spot and attack an intruder, and Catherine had specifically requested it. The request had garnered her an unreadable look from the Illusionist in particular, but the Kabaran said nothing and re-anchored it to the fringes of Catherine's mind.

As soon as the four were safe ensconced within their own minds, utter exhaustion assaulted them. Catherine was already asleep on the floor between them, curling up automatically into a ball. With a foggy brain, Kakkhanadori watched her breathe steadily until he almost fell asleep himself. Tenna rescued him from this fate with her groan and her struggle to regain her feet.

'_Here.'_ Groaning himself, he rose and not quite stumbled in his effort to help Tenna up. The Drake smiled at him fuzzily, then looked down at Catherine still on the floor.

'_Should we move her?'_ she asked. _'The floor's hardly a-a-a—'_ she yawned until her jaw cracked. _'Hardly a place to let her sleep.'_

'_You're right. Ilowe, pick her up and put her in her room, will you?' _

There was no answer. They looked around and found both Ilowe and Hodaia had collapsed on the couch and were snoring their hearts out.

'_Their backs are going to hurt in the morning,'_ Kakkhanadori noted. He turned to Tenna. _'Why don't you ever get another couch? We complain and tease you enough about it.' _

'_Eh.'_ Tenna shrugged. _'You get Catherine into her room; I'll look for a futon for you.' _

'…_I'm too tired to complain.' _Kakkhanadori wavered on his feet, then carefully bent and gathered up the sleeping Human. He was too tired to be surprised when said person shifted sleepily in his arms, murmuring something he didn't care to register, and pressed her cheek against his shoulder. Instead he headed toward her bedroom and deposited her on her low-level futon bed. He had a bit of difficulty extricating himself, for Catherine had taken hold of his shirtfront with a tight grasp. By the time he came into the living room again, Tenna had his futon laid out and supplied with blankets.

'_Oh, Gods, Tenna,' _he groaned. _'You're a miracle. What would I do without you?' _

'_Plenty,' _responded the tired but smiling Drake. _'Life just wouldn't be as fun, though.'_

'_Heh.'_ Kakkhanadori stood only long enough to give Tenna a brief and rare hug, which she gladly returned. Then he and his futon introduced themselves to one another and got on beautifully.

:-:-:-:

When she woke up that morning, it took her a while to register that she was satisfyingly sleepy, instead of sleep-deprived sleepy like usual. When she did realize this, the question of why appeared next.

She didn't use the chance to answer this question, instead leaving her bed, warm and comfortable as it was, to investigate the unusual aroma of cooking food in the air. Immediately upon exiting, she stopped dead with surprise at the sight of Ilowe stretched out along the length of Tenna's couch, of Hodaia seeming about to drift off to sleep, and of the futon on the floor, unrolled, not far from her feet. She heard voices in the kitchen and turned to see, only to be surprised all over again by the sight of Kakkhanadori standing over a waffle iron.

Only Tenna's bright and cheerful voice was not a surprise to her. _'Nay-chan! You're awake!'_ The Drake smiled brilliantly at her and gestured to the four empty chairs besides hers at the kitchen table. When she, blinking, had seated herself, her roommate leaned in conspiratorially.

'_I managed to convince Kakkhanadori to make us his famous waffles today. Prepare yourself for a treat; they're insanely good.' _

'_Stop exaggerating, Tenna,'_ Kakkhanadori scoffed, his eyes still on the waffle iron. Tenna rolled her eyes, but with a smile on her face. Ilowe and Hodaia, at that moment, came staggering in.

'_Did I hear somebody say waffles?' _the Nightmare slurred almost unintelligibly. He winced as a crack called out; he reached a hand around to rub at his spine, grimacing the entire time.

'_I told you their backs would hurt in the morning,'_ muttered Kakkhanadori. Tenna huffed while Ilowe continued to wince at his pain and Hodaia continued to appear half-asleep. Catherine, for her part, only covered up a smile.

'_There,'_ Kakkhanadori proclaimed. He opened the waffle iron, revealing the two golden-brown waffles within, and deftly flipped them onto the two plates waiting for them. While the iron was open, he ladled more batting mixture inside and closed it. He fished out silverware for the two plates and slid the entire package, waffle, silverware, plate, and all, in front of Catherine and Hodaia. _'Tenna, you're next. Catherine, since you've never had my cooking before, you get to be the first to eat it. Hodaia, you can be second, since you managed to fall asleep on Tenna's horrible couch.' _

'_What about me?' _Ilowe pouted. _'Don't I get to be third, since I also slept on Tenna's horrible couch?'_

Kakkhanadori flicked him a single glance. _'No,'_ he said simply. _'You're being too annoying.'_

'_What?!'_ Ilowe protested, looking shocked. _'I am not! I have a very charming personality, I'll have you know—'_

'_And that's why you're being annoying,'_ Kakkhanadori informed him. _'You're trying too hard.'_ He readied two more plates. _'Enough. I want to see what Nay-chan thinks of the waffles.'_

Three heads swiveled to the mentioned soul, who had just taken her fork out of her mouth. Though she blushed, she chewed patiently and smiled much like Ilowe in one of his Cheshire cat moods.

'_It's really good,'_ Catherine agreed. _'I've had one time where the waffles were better, but that was a long time ago.'_ She cut another piece. _'Do you have any syrup to put on this?'_

'_I do,' _Tenna said. _'It's in the top left cabinet.' _

'_What's the pour date on it?'_ Kakkhanadori quipped. He earned himself a dirty look, but he retrieved the syrup and served it along with two more waffles to Tenna and Ilowe (even despite his threat to make the latter wait until last). Delighted murmurs ended any more chance at conversation until all of them had clean plates and full stomachs.

'_Ahh,'_ Ilowe sighed. _'That was _good.' He smiled his Cheshire cat smile. _'So, now that we've started the day, what are we going to do to fill it up?'_

'_What?'_ Catherine looked befuddled. _'Don't you have to go to work?'_

'_Not after last night.'_ Ilowe tilted his head. _'Why would we, anyway?'_

'_Last night?'_ She visibly blanked. _'Oh,'_ she said after a pause, drooping. _'Last night.'_

'_Yes, oh,'_ Ilowe said dryly. _'But,'_ he cried, pointing one finger into the air, _'never fear, for we are here to make sure that you don't spend your day alone.'_

'_We'd rather be here anyway,'_ Kakkhanadori interjected, with Tenna nodding. _'We'd worry about you instead of working, which some of us cannot afford.' _

Catherine had to swallow in order to be able to speak again. _'Thanks,'_ said she, her voice small. _'But,'_ she continued, seeming worried, _'won't you have to call in or something and tell them you're not coming in today?' _

'_No,'_ Tenna shook her head. Ilowe added, _'We Demon Dimension Residents have more ways of communicating than just words. None of us have been out of this apartment yet today, but the rest of the City probably already knows what happened last night.'_

He leaned forward. _'They're going to really revere you for that, you know. You really struck a blow for the City.' _

'_What?'_ Catherine asked, confused.

'_Maybe not revere,'_ Kakkhanadori pointed out. _'But certainly they'll be inspired. It's going to be rough for the next couple of days.' _

'_But what did I do?' _the Lady Ki Breaker broke in. _'I don't understand.' _

Tenna patted her hand. _'You didn't give in to Vorízentai, sweetie,'_ she explained. _'You didn't give yourself over to her. Very few people have done that, and none of them are sitting at this table except you.' _

'_But I did give in to her,'_ spluttered Catherine. _'She trapped me and made me watch—' _

'_But you didn't fall all the way into her trap,'_ Kakkhanadori interrupted. _'Moreover, you broke her spell on you by yourself. How many people here can say they did that?' _

'_Not a lot, I guess,'_ Catherine said, still uneasy. Tenna concurred, _'No, not a lot.' _

'_But how would people know if we didn't tell them?' _the Human persisted. _'I don't like the idea of people knowing things about me that I didn't tell them.' _

'_Don't we all,'_ Ilowe muttered. Kakkhanadori took it upon himself to answer the query.

'_It's not really a _communication_ per se, as Ilowe described it, but more just a general sort of _knowing_, of being in tune with the Dimension and the changes to it and within it that affect it. Most of the time the changes are minor and don't really bear paying attention to, but last night was definitely something that would grab attention.' _

'_So, it's sort of like a sixth sense? What that is?' _

'_Yes, that's a good way to describe it,'_ Kakkhanadori affirmed. _'I don't know why you don't have it, but likely you'll have to visit the Demon Gods for it or prove yourself worthy in one way or another.' _

'_You'd think denying Vorízentai the Valkyrie would count as proving yourself,' _Tenna grumbled. _'The Demon Gods do operate in mysterious ways.' _

Kakkhanadori snorted. _'Only you could say something like that and get away with it.'_ He stood. _'I'm going to log on to the Keeper database and make sure that Daia and I really are exempt. Do excuse me.' _

Tenna rose with him and followed him into the living room. _'What was it that Vorízentai made Catherine watch?'_ she inquired quietly when he had started up the computer. _'She started to say something, but you cut her off.' _

Knowing that he wouldn't be able to stop Tenna from finding out one way or another, he still answered reluctantly. _'She saw...Vorízentai performing acts of sexual dominance over someone. Me, in fact.'_ He looked up at his friend, daring her to display any pity for him.

Tenna didn't, but put her hand over her mouth. _'That explains a lot,'_ she said finally.

'_What kind of person does that make Catherine?'_ he demanded suddenly. _'Vorízentai couldn't have used me as a part of that dreamscape if some part of Catherine didn't want that. What kind of person wants sexual control over me after hearing and seeing what damage Vorízentai has done to me? A twisted one, that's what.' _

'_You don't know the entirety of it,'_ Tenna hissed. _'You've only seen a glimpse of what lies within Catherine; there is a deeper picture behind all this. You can't see it because you're already making assumptions! I'm ashamed of you; I thought you were a better person than that—'_

'_How would you know if there's a bigger picture?' _Kakkhanadori retorted, voice low. _'Have you seen it? Does Catherine-san tell you all her deepest, darkest secrets?' _

'_Not all of them,'_ Tenna shot back angrily, _'but some. And I'm not telling any of them to you while you're being stubborn and pig-demon-headed like this!' _

It was difficult to have an argument without three people hearing in a room only divided from another room only by a wall of cabinets, said room also occupied by the aforementioned trio, but somehow Tenna and Kakkhanadori managed it. Tenna ended up stomping not-so-quietly into her bedroom for the book she'd excused herself to retrieve, while Kakkhanadori only proceeded to boot the computer up, his clenched jaw the only sign that anything wrong had occurred.

:-:-:-:

Though the both of them acted as per usual for the rest of the day, the coldness they displayed toward each other was unmistakable. Ilowe actually took Kakkhanadori aside and tried to interrogate him about what had happened, but the Saiyan said nothing. Catherine appeared only marginally more successful in her attempt with Tenna, but she kept quiet and instead tried to work around them to make the day as enjoyable as she could for all of them.

By the time they collapsed at Tenna's apartment again, both Tenna and Kakkhanadori had relaxed into at least speaking politely to each other. Kakkhanadori also tried hard not to treat Catherine any differently, an effort Tenna seemed to notice.

She relieved him of this effort, in any case, by declaring that Catherine still had an interview tomorrow to think of and had to get her beauty sleep. Kakkhanadori took this as an opportunity to see himself out of the apartment and was well on his way back to his home by the time Tenna came out of Catherine's room once again. He made only one quick stop at the Cuisinery, to stock up his refrigerator, then broke into his own home and made his way into the shrine to Lady Fate for some much needed meditation.

:-:-:-:

_The planet Quichnos was full of people very much like the Humans on Earth, sophisticated, grounded in the reality of their senses, and disbelieving in most of the legends they were told and passed on. In particular, the legend of the Four Who Ride Horses was made out to be a fantastical myth, obscuring in its label the many truths of its contents and discrediting the assertions of the true believers as "screwed up somewhere upstairs." _

_In one day, however, the majority of people quickly learned its mistake as Yokinobakurashinigami, Wentonagunryukusa, Flintiwatarunokiga, and Penelopegekirei rode amongst them and did what they did best, i.e. caused death and havoc, destruction and mayhem, and laid ruin to everything Quichnos had ever known. _

_Lives were cut down by the maniacal Ender of All Souls; people turned upon each other mindlessly every time the Wreaker of War roared; prosperous fields and gardens were instantly turned to rot by a swing of the Starvation Lord's arm; and wherever the Queen of the Plague cantered, bodies lay in her wake, covered in boils, half-rotted, or coughing up blood in large quantities. _

_This was a part of the Apocalypse. It had been long in coming to Quichnos, leading the people of this planet into a false sense of security, but it was finally here and determined to do its job properly now that its target had been reached. _

_Amongst it all, one man stood, tall and imposing, his face stern in its stillness. He did not appear to pay any attention to the cries of help from the dying, nor to the bodies thudding to the ground everywhere. He did not seem to relish in the chaos that was happening in his environment, but he did not seem as if he were about to halt it either, despite the respect the Four Who Ride Horses obviously accorded to him. In the eyes of Quichnos, he was the very representative of the Apocalypse himself. _

_But he was not. He was only Kakkhanadorisainkai, the Dimension Keeper whose orders had been to bring the Apocalypse's Horsemen to this planet floating in the middle of nowhere and to bring them back when they were done. The Horsemen looked like they were close to finishing, but Kakkhanadori had the feeling they needed to get back to the Demon Dimension _now

'Wrap it up!'_ he shouted to Yoki, gesturing insistently at the gently gyrating portal they'd used. Yoki nodded and bayed sinisterly to his colleagues, who howled their returns. _

'We're done here, milord,'_ the Death Bringer reported. _'Our effects will be felt by Quichnos long after we, and they, are gone.' _His sanguinary smile was disturbed; Yoko tossed its head and trotted of its own volition towards the portal. _'Aye,' _Yoki stated in exasperation, _'You'll get your bath, just be patient. The string of souls I've collected won't be able to keep up if you're this impatient.'_ Yoki snorted again. _

_One by one the Apocalypse slowly left Quichnos. Almost no one was left alive, especially not where the quintet had first emerged, and the planet was left to pick up after itself, what little was remaining. _

Since the portal the five had used had not originated in the Basilica Officii, but had been opened by Kakkhanadori himself, they arrived where they left, in front of the gates leading into and out of the City on the Road of Heaven. It was actually adjacent to the Demonic Parks, and this was where they stepped out onto a scene as horrifying as the one they'd just left.

Vorízentai the Valkyrie, her eyes wild and hatred-filled, was grasping Catherine Watanabe by the hair, her burgundy nails digging deep into the latter's scalp. Both women were gasping heavily, as if they had been running, and their clothes were disheveled. Catherine in particular had an expression of fear mingled with pain affixed onto her face. Before any of them could step forward, Vorízentai slashed at Catherine's face.

'_Let's see beneath that pretty face of yours, _girlie_,'_ the Valkyrie hissed. _'See what you're hiding behind the glamour.' _

There existed a second in which Kakkhanadori saw everything in slow motion. The face of the young woman he'd visited on Earth that day so many months ago appeared in front of him: A striking face, with a smaller nose and a straighter jaw, familiar purple hair, and the punch-in-the-gut gray eyes. She was taller, too, but other than that, she had not changed.

Catherine's eyes met his. Reality sped up in the next moment as Catherine jerked her hair out of the Valkyrie's grasp. She stumbled backwards, turned, and nearly fell in her hurry to escape. Vorízentai made as if to go after her again, but Kakkhanadori caught her by the arm.

'_Not this time, Vorízentai,'_ he told her darkly. _'You've done enough damage for today.'_

'_Go after the Lady Ki Breaker, Legendary Lord,'_ Flint told him in an urgent whisper. _'We'll contain the Valkyrie until reinforcements arrive.' _He nodded to the other Horsemen, who had spread out to encircle them. Kakkhanadori nodded and released Vorízentai, who instantly tried to flee. Wenton blocked her path with a growl. What else the Horsemen did with the Valkyrie, he didn't know, for his focus was on finding Catherine before she did something drastic.

Racing out of the City, he searched for her **presence**. He found it not very far away and marched toward it, hoping that she was all right. Well, as much as she could be with her **presence** so faint. Had Vorízentai done something to her spirit? He picked up his pace.

Turning around a corner, he spotted her distinctive midnight purple hair. She was very nearly at the end of a road and about to collapse. In a flash, he came up to her and, in his haste to get to her before she fell, seized her from behind unthinkingly.

"No!" she shouted. She pushed at him instinctively, but he seized her shoulder with his opposite hand and tried to trap her forearms with his other arm around her waist. One of Catherine's hands escaped him, latched onto his right forearm, but he succeeded in capturing the other forearm.

"Shh!" he hissed into her ear. "It's only me!" She continued to struggle ineffectually, tearing at his right forearm and trying to yank her own right arm free, until he bellowed "Catherine!". Then she froze.

"Kakkhanadori?" she asked, refusing to turn her head. He breathed in relief to her hair, said "yes" almost inaudibly, and proceeded to release her. But she wouldn't allow him, using the free hand to clamp harder on to his arm and the other to ensnare the arm encircling her waist. Crying now, she choked out: "Keep me safe, Kakkhanadori," then broke down and sobbed in his embrace for the second time in three days.

:-:-:-:

A/n: (Gapes) No. Freaking. WAY! Muse, what are you doing to me?!

Allati: Nothing! I'm just inspiring you! You're the one who writes this stuff!

(Twitches) Ahh... At least we got to see the Four Horsemen in action, finally! It's been a long time in coming, methinks. (Glares)

Allati: (Points at herself questioningly) Moi?

(Glares) Yes, _you_. (Snorts as muse droops) Whatev. Anyway! I have now finally reached Spring Break! Yeah! Maybe that will mean more updates. Maybe not. Eheheh... (Runs away in panther form)

Allati: On to the sneak preview...

:-:-:-:

SNEAK PREVIEW OF: Hospitalized

'_Tenna, she's fine,'_ he reported. _'Vorízentai was detained shortly before I got her here. I don't know what the Valkyrie did to her this time, but it was pretty bad. The Healer said I got her here just in time.'_

:-:-:-:

Thanks to **lpgohanfanatic **and **Lov3the3vil** for reviewing! See you next time!

Ciao,

**TheShadowPanther** and Allati, from **AASN**.

**AASN;** Writing is what we do for you at **AASN**. Enjoy.

_Updated 3.11.08_

(P.S. **Lov3the3vil **and **lpgohanfanatic**, check your DocX connections!)


	10. Chapter Nine: Hospitalized

**Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper**

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha!

Chapter Nine: Hospitalized

Within the Hospital of the City of the Demons, Kakkhanadorisainkai paced. One of his friends, Catherine Watanabe, the Lady Ki Breaker, had just been attacked by Vorízentai the Valkyrie. After making sure that Vorízentai was detained, Kakkhanadori had brought the Lady Ki Breaker to the Hospital. Two attendants and a Healer had been waiting for them outside the doors. They had hustled Kakkhanadori inside and into the emergency room, where an operating table had already been readied. That was where the Legendary Lord had last seen her, and it was also where he stood guard and waited for something, _anything_ to happen.

The doors opened, causing him to swing around, and revealed the exhausted Healer. _'She's fine now, Legendary Lord,'_ the Wolf told him, anticipating his question. _'You may see her if you wish, but please do not go in. We are still doing tests on her.' _

'_Thank you, Healer.'_ He followed the animal through the labyrinth of the Hospital hallways until he was led to a door with a window in it on the left side. Catherine was beyond it, sitting on the bed with her knees drawn up and her eyes faraway as an attendant tested her blood pressure. He breathed a sigh of relief.

'_Thank you, Healer,'_ he repeated. The Healer nodded, compassion in her eyes, and patted his shoulder.

'_Thank _you she said, surprising him. _'You brought her just in time.'_

When the Healer had left, he rested his head against the wall. The shock of adrenaline still beat at him, urging him to do something, anything, but he subdued it. He instead lifted his head and walked into the hallway, the better to be seen when the others gained entry to the Hospital and were shown to Catherine's floor.

'_Tenna!'_ he called as soon as he perceived her form at the end of the hallway. The figure snapped around, saw him, and rushed to his location as fast as she could. Ilowe and Hodaia rounded the corner just as Tenna reached him.

'_Tenna, she's fine,'_ he reported. _'Vorízentai was detained shortly before I got her here. I don't know what the Valkyrie did to her this time, but it was pretty bad. The Healer said I got her here just in time.'_

He released Tenna's shoulders. _'They're still doing tests, so we can't go in and visit her. I do have to warn you, though—Catherine has her true face on. Her glamour is gone. She may or may not want to see any of us until it's put back on.'_

'_Tenna?'_ Catherine's wavering voice floated into the air. The attendant had opened the door and presumably she had heard him speaking. _'Are you there?'_

He was glad he had freed Tenna. He probably would have been hurt in the dash the Drake made into the room as soon as Catherine said her name. _'Maybe she does want to see her,'_ he muttered. As Ilowe and Hodaia followed Tenna in, he settled down onto the visitor's bench and leaned his head back. A sigh escaped him as the last of the tension drained away.

He could hear Catherine and Tenna crying, likely hugging each other fiercely, and spouting off their relief (Tenna in particular was very thankful Kakkhanadori had been able to rescue Catherine). As Ilowe's ki signature bent down to Catherine (probably embracing her in turn), Tenna's moved outwards. Kakkhanadori looked up to see the Drake gazing at him inquiringly; he refused the request in the khaki eyes with a shake of his head.

"I'm fine where I am," he said quietly. Tenna narrowed her eyes, but he only looked at her, communicating in that glance that it was not the opinion he'd expressed yesterday that held him where he was. Tenna nodded, but he knew they were going to talk later.

He lifted his head again when the same Healer from before approached the doorway; in her hands was a chart on a clipboard. As she disappeared into the room, he listened to her say, amusedly, _'I see your friends have found you, Lady Ki Breaker.'_ Silence for a minute as Catherine reacted. _'Do you want them to be here while I tell you what's wrong with you?' _

Another moment of silence. _'Very well,'_ the Wolf said; apparently Catherine had nodded. _'You have a bit of hypoglycemia, which I'm sure you know is natural for Ki Breakers; that's not the problem. What _is_ the problem is that your ki center was heavily damaged when the Valkyrie destroyed your glamour. Do you know of any reason why that might be?'_

'_Yes,'_ Catherine answered; her voice was shaky. _'The warlock who put this glamour on me, he anchored it to my ki center. That was the only way it'd stay on for more than a month, he said.'_

'_Hmm,'_ hummed the Healer. Noises like scribbling occurred for a second, then the Wolf said in tones conveying a predatory smile, _'Thank you, milady. That should be very helpful. Now, as for your glamour,'_ her voice returned to matter-of-fact,_ 'We can recreate the original one you had and give you pills to help it last until your ki center recovers, at which point we'll re-anchor the glamour in some place _other_ than the ki center. This way taking it off won't damage the core like this one did. _

'_You can also ask an Illusionist,'_ he imagined Hodaia regarding the Healer steadily, _'to replace your charm, and we'll help her with that. Or you can leave the glamour off entirely and focus on recovering instead.'_

When Catherine responded, she sounded torn. _'What are the advantages of asking an Illusionist over taking pills?'_

Again, the Healer's voice smiled. _'One, you wouldn't have to take pills. Two, the resulting glamour would be more stable and more accurate. Three, it would be a lot cheaper. The disadvantage is that your ki center would take more time to heal, and it would take a while for your core to be able to uphold the stress of at least expending the ki that goes into anchoring a glamour, even if that ki isn't yours.'_

'_I can help with that,'_ he said unexpectedly from his location outside of the room. _'I can go into Catherine's mind and take most of the stress off of her.'_

Surprise permeated the air. Kakkhanadori thought that Ilowe, Hodaia, and Catherine had not noticed he was missing until then.

'_That might work,' _the Healer was, nevertheless, saying thoughtfully. _'Of course, milady would need to intake ki to uphold the glamour if it is not anchored to her core, and right now the core isn't up for that.'_ Kakkhanadori nodded to himself in understanding.

'_And if she left the glamour off?'_ Tenna asked.

'_Then she would recover far more quickly, but since she would not be assimilating ki for a specific length of time, like she would for anchoring a glamour, she'd need to be near a continuous source of ki at all hours of the day. She'd have to do that anyway if she chose to replace her glamour, but the need would be especially pronounced if she didn't.' _

'_What sources of ki would we be talking about?' _asked Ilowe. The Healer shrugged. _'Anything that has an exorbitant amount of ki and doesn't need to eat in order to replace it.'_ Thrumming ki signatures within the room had Kakkhanadori guessing four people had exchanged glances.

'_Fortunately,'_ the Wolf continued, apparently oblivious of this, _'I can get the names of several places for you that would fit the bill. The one off of the top of my head would be the Llewellyn Wells—'_

'_I've heard of that place,'_ Ilowe said a little too eagerly. _'Is that the one where the caretaker takes on the form that is most comfortable for the one in need of the Wells?'_

'_Yes,'_ the Healer confirmed. _'As I said, I can get several names for you, but I have the feeling that one is the most suited for what you need.'_

'_We'll make the arrangements,'_ Tenna promised. The Healer nodded and shifted the clipboard under her arm.

'_I'll leave you a minute or two to make your decision.'_ With that said, shoes clicked on the floor and had the Healer out of the room and down the hall in seconds. Kakkhanadori was thankful she left the door open so he could hear.

Other footsteps followed the Healer's trail. _'What are you doing out here?'_ Ilowe burst out, seeing him. Kakkhanadori, raising an eyebrow, simply said, _'Standing guard.'_

The Nightmare blinked at him speechlessly for a second. _'Oh.'_ He straightened. _'Okay.' _He turned and disappeared into the room. The Immortal heard him relay his intelligence to the three other ki signatures, although they had likely heard him say it. Kakkhanadori imagined Ilowe shrugging at Catherine's soft question of why.

'_Well, whatever his reasons,'_ Tenna interrupted, _'we still have a decision to make. What do you think?'_

Catherine sounded and felt hesitant. _'I want to replace my glamour,' _she said, _'but I also want to get better as soon as possible.'_

'_Of course.'_ Tenna soothed. _'It's your decision; whatever you decide, we'll support you.' _

'_All right.'_ A noise like Catherine blowing out a breath occurred. _'What do _you_ think? Should I go for the glamour or not?'_

Silence for a few seconds, as presumably Catherine looked at the first person to answer. Judging from ki signature activity, that person was Tenna.

Ilowe offered his opinion next.

'_I think you should go with your gut,'_ he stated. He did add, however, _'Though I do like seeing your true face. Much better than the glamour, methinks.'_

'_Thanks.'_ Catherine laughed weakly. _'Daia?' _

Kakkhanadori knew enough about the Illusionist to know she would only nod; he assumed that nod meant yes, Catherine should go with the glamour. Jokingly, Ilowe teased, _'I think Daia wants to prove that she can do a glamour better than any stinkin' warlock on Earth!' _Four voices laughed at another reaction from Hodaia (likely an emphatic nod).

'_How about you, Kakkhanadori?'_

So addressed, Kakkhanadori tensed in surprise. He hadn't expected Catherine would seek him out.

'_I think,'_ he pronounced carefully, thinking rapidly, _'that you should rest first. Your ki center is more important than a glamour.'_

The Human's signature was spiking in agreement. _'That's what I think, too,'_ she said, confirming his speculation. A sigh. _'I can always put up a glamour later, and I will be asking Daia to do that, if that's okay?' _He knew the Illusionist was nodding regally; satisfaction radiated from her. Still, Catherine felt uncertain. _'I just don't want to go out into the world feeling vulnerable like this.' _

'_Do you think we could put a temporary glamour on you, that'll be powered by outside sources so you won't have to power it yourself?' _Tenna inquired. Though the question was to Catherine, Kakkhanadori thought of an idea.

'_If we anchored it to Catherine's amulet,' _he suggested, his voice seemingly loud in the corridor, _'would that work?'_ Hodaia radiated both agreement and uncertainty.

'_That's okay, Daia. We have faith in you,'_ Tenna claimed; Ilowe and Catherine agreed. Only by careful reading of Hodaia's ki signature did Kakkhanadori catch the brief spike of pleasure at this vote of confidence.

'_So now that that's figured out, who shall make the arrangements?'_ Ilowe asked practically. _'I'd love to do them, but I figured maybe Tenna or Kakkhanadori would want to.' _

'_I'm out,'_ Kakkhanadori said, still upon the bench outside. _'I'm probably going to be helping Daia with the amulet project.' _

'_I'm definitely going to be staying here with Catherine,'_ Tenna insisted. _'They don't allow outer-City travels in here, do they?' _

'_No,'_ Ilowe, Kakkhanadori, and Hodaia chorused. He could practically _hear _Tenna smirking. _'In that case...'_

'_Oh, all right,'_ Ilowe sighed dramatically. _'I'll do them.'_ His ki signature spiked positively. _'I finally get to be useful to this group.'_

'_What do you mean?' _This came from Tenna. _'You're useful.'_

'_Yeah, as Kakkhanadori's whipping boy,'_ the Nightmare retorted. _'All I ever get from him is abuse, day after day.'_

'_You deserve it,'_ the Saiyan stated. Sounds like Ilowe flailing caused him to grin briefly. _'See?'_ the Nightmare cried. _'That's what I have to deal with. Nothing but sharp retorts with that tongue of his.'_

'_You aren't the only one,'_ muttered Kakkhanadori. It was probably Tenna who silenced Ilowe, probably with a sharp glance. The Nightmare huffed, but stood down; Kakkhanadori leaned back on the wall again.

Peace restored, Tenna asked, _'Do you want us to spend the night with you? The Healers will let us do that if you want it.'_

'_Will you?'_ Catherine instantly felt contrite, as if she wanted to apologize for her pleading tone, but the group protested her emotion.

'_We'll get some sleeping supplies for tonight then,'_ Tenna said decisively. Three chairs slid back. _'You'll be all right alone?'_ she asked Catherine, sounding much like a mother tending to her sick child. Kakkhanadori reasoned that he must be the father then, for he interjected, _'She'll be fine. Stop clucking.'_

'_Actually,'_ Catherine declared, _'I would like to talk to Kakkhanadori for a little bit.'_

Kakkhanadori almost banged his head on the wall, he was so surprised. Tenna, hovering within the doorway by this time, glanced at him meaningfully.

'_I'll get your stuff then, Kakkhanadori,'_ Tenna told him, her tone faintly warning. The Saiyan nodded (inwardly rolling his eyes) and abdicated his seat. _'Bye then!'_ she called.

They sailed out the door while Kakkhanadori entered through it. Ilowe had to dart back in to close the door, which he did with a deranged and fake smile. Kakkhanadori ended up shaking his head at his friend's antics.

'_So weird,'_ he decided. He turned to the Human. _'So, what did you want to talk to be about?' _

When the Human's grey eyes turned onto him, he felt momentarily stunned. Those eyes could pierce if they wanted to. The effect faded when she blinked and drew in a deep breath.

'_I know that you recognized me when my glamour came off.'_ Kakkhanadori nodded. _'Thank you for not telling anyone my real name.'_

He frowned. _'I don't know it,'_ he said, much to Catherine's surprise. _'Why would I?'_

'_How did you find me on Earth then?' _she asked, her voice a note higher in her astonishment.

'_I took a portal to your room. Your demon familiar was there.'_

'_Oh.'_ She frowned. _'Do you by any chance know where Sanyuu went? It said It couldn't come with me here. Do you know why?' _

'_No.'_ He shook his head. _'That's odd.'_ He lifted a shoulder. _'I'm sure the Lady had Her reasons. You could ask Her if you want.' _

'_No thanks.'_ Catherine was clearly nervous thinking about that. _'I try not to make it a habit to converse with Higher Beings. They might get angry at me.'_

'_Nah,'_ contradicted Kakkhanadori. _'They're actually pretty laid back, with the exception of Lord Destiny. He's a chip off the old block.' _

Catherine winced. _'I'll have to be careful then,'_ she commented. _'But that's not all I wanted to talk to you about.'_

'_No?' _He raised his eyebrows.

'_No,'_ she confirmed. She drew in a bolstering breath again. _'I want to thank you for saving me again. That's twice you've kept _her_ away from me, and twice you've stayed with me afterwards.' _

'_That's twice you've _trusted_ me to save you, as you call it,'_ he answered gently. Her eyes widened.

'_I trust you,'_ she exclaimed, disbelieving. _'I've always trusted you.' _

'_Not always,' _he corrected. _'Not when you were afraid of me because of my strength.' _

'_I was never afraid of you.'_ She placed a hand on his arm to stop him from speaking. _'I was overwhelmed by how powerful you were, yes, but I was never afraid of you. I was only ever grateful to you for giving me much-needed ki and for leading me to the Demon Dimension, only I was much too shy to tell you.' _

'_You made feel like a monster,'_ he confessed. _'Like you felt I was about to kill you or something.'_ He felt lighter for saying that. It had bothered him, he realized all over again, even if she hadn't been uncomfortable with him for some time yet.

"I'm sorry." She held his gaze with earnest eyes. "I never meant to make you feel that way."

He sighed, giving her the point. _'It still doesn't mean you trusted me,'_ he pressed, needing more than he liked to clarify this matter.

'_I did,'_ she insisted, her eyes opening his soul. _'I do,'_ she added gently. _'I always will.' _

He had to look away from her intensity then. He felt vulnerable again, like that night at Los Sueños Dorados, only it had been Catherine who'd laid herself bare, and, with that, somehow managed to make him divulge some of his deep-set worries that no one else would have heard. What was it about her that no one else had that drew him out so easily? With anyone else, he could and would clam up harder than an oyster, but five minutes or so alone with Catherine, and he broke easier than a cracked eggshell.

He was intensely grateful for the arrival of Tenna, Ilowe, and Hodaia then, for it gave him an excuse to escape. He was ashamed of himself for feeling this way, but since Menrui had died, emotions had not come easily to him. And didn't some part inside of him wilt just thinking his brother's name? He was glad for the distraction preparing for sleep (inside the room, at Tenna's insistence) gave him.

Even so, as the group settled into the room with its usual laughter and discussion, especially of Catherine's interview that day (which Catherine testified went well, to Tenna's squealing delight), Kakkhanadori still felt uneasy. Sleep would be elusive for him that night, he could tell.

* * *

When they woke up that morning, they woke roughly. The Wolf Healer looked frazzled, but her tone brooked no arguments. _'Get out,'_ she commanded. She slashed a hand at one of the attendants hurrying to and fro around them. Seeing the group was still struggling to rise from the futons, she pushed at them forcefully. _'If you value your friend's life, for the love of the Gods, _get out!"

This spurred them on; the sight of a convulsing figure on the bed provided fresh incentive and raised as many questions as it answered. The group was out of the room within the minute; the door clanged ominously as they crowded up to the window to see what was happening.

To their frustration and continued worry, there were too many bodies around the bed blocking their view. So they, all four of them, huddled together to wait and trust in the Healers to see their fifth member through. It seemed like forever and a day passed under the bright lights of that meter-long hallway, but their hopes were borne through.

'_We have her stabilized,'_ the Healer announced after forever and a day. She had to ask for some space a second later; the quartet had almost bowled her over in its rush to crowd around her. _'The ki generator that the Lady Ki Breaker was hooked up to unexpectedly died. One of our interns must have read the gauge incorrectly and taken one that was half-empty.'_

The Wolf waited patiently for the angry murmurs to die down. _'As a result of this,'_ she continued, _'the Lady Ki Breaker suffered an intense ki withdrawal. We have her on another ki generator, but we must ask you all to stay out of her room, as any living source of ki that she is intimately familiar with is in danger of losing _all_ of its ki. _

'_This applies especially to _you_, Legendary Lord. Your ki is particularly familiar to her; because of this, you must not come near milady until she has recovered the full use of her ki breaker. If you do not, you will likely destroy her.' _

Kakkhanadori stood frozen in his position between Ilowe and Hodaia, directly across from the Healer. He could see the resolve in the yellow eyes staring unblinkingly at him, and the compassion mingled with regret lurking underneath. Slowly straightening, he uncrossed his arms stiffly. _'I see,'_ he said, his neutral tone giving away his inner turmoil, and bowed. _'Do excuse me.'_

'_What?'_ Tenna finally stuttered. Ilowe turned to chase after the stiltedly walking Kakkhanadori, but Hodaia seized his shoulder. Tenna went on to demand of the Healer why exactly Kakkhanadori in particular had to stay away, but her words were only a burden to the Legendary Lord, who could still hear them from the end of the hallways, due to his Saiyan hearing.

He was glad when their voices faded away as he rounded the corner. Picking up his pace, he rushed out of the Hospital. He was almost running when he spilled out onto the Road of the World. Regaining his senses a second later, long enough to turn inward, he seemed to blur and dissolve. His figure left an imprint upon the air, but by the time Ilowe stepped out of the very same Hospital he had just left, it, like its originator, was nowhere to be found.

* * *

A/n: Ach, poor Kakkhanadori... The things I do to my characters, for the love of Kami!

And on a completely unrelated note: Damn Quickedit! It keeps deleting my barriers and mkaing me put in the HTML rulers, godawful-looking things that they are. Grr.  
Unrelated note number two: I have waay too much homework to be spending my time on fanfiction. Therefore I shall be missing from the fanfiction scene until May (likely) or the end of April (more likely); I updated now so soon after the last update (soon? You call that soon?) so that you wouldn't feel too deprived of new material, and so that I could give you this solemn news. (Cries)

Allati: Don't cry, SP. Everything will be all right... Go on to the sneak preview, dear readers, we'll be fine here eventually...

* * *

SNEAK PREVIEW OF: Convalescence

Inu brightened. _'Yeah!'_ It crowed. _'My chance to see a Deity dressed down! Let's go!' _It raced ahead of him on the Road of the World outlining the edge of the High Market to the Basilica Vitae.

* * *

Thanks to **lpgohanfanatic**, **Lov3the3vil**, and **supersaiyaman** for reviewing!

Hasta la vista,

**TheShadowPanther** and Allati, from **AASN**

**AASN;** Writing is what we do for you at **AASN**. Enjoy.

_Updated 3.29.08_


	11. Chapter Ten: Convalescence

**Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper **

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha!

Chapter Ten: Convalescence

Catherine Watanabe felt battered and bruised. She had no energy to do anything at that moment, despite the ki generator humming softly at the side of the bed. She had no energy to contemplate, for instance, the nasty feeling she had about this machine, as if it alone was the only reason she was still alive. An image (or three) drifted into her head of a coma patient lying still and lifeless while the mechanism taking up the corner of the room beeped loudly—

She sighed. As if this was a cue, the door slid open. In stepped a woman that she instantly pegged for a Librarian. Said Librarian smiled at her, as if responding to her thoughts, and adjusted her glasses.

'_Good morning, milady,'_ said the woman, hurrying over to the chairs in an explosion of movement that made her dizzy. Seating herself fussily in one of the undignified metal chairs—Catherine almost smiled—the woman introduced herself. _'I am the Northwest Librarian,'_ she began, _'and I have business with you.' _

Feeling oddly part of a ritual, she nodded weakly. The Librarian eased her anxiety with a smile of approval.

'_The Legendary Lord set up an appointment with me in your name, but since you are here and due to be shipped out to the Llewellyn Wells soon—well, I decided to come to you.' _

'_Wha—what?'_ Her head was spinning. _'Ka—the Legendary Lord made me an appointment with you?' _

'_Yes,'_ the Librarian confirmed. Her eyes glinted. _'Apparently you have an issue with Ki Breaking. "A Ki Breaking disorder,"_ _he called it,_ _"out of a desire to protect the people around her." Very admirable milady, but foolish when you persist in this belief at increasing risk to your own life.'_

'_What?' _she repeated, hardly believing her ears. _'He told you that I k—went too far one day and drained someone of too much energy?' _

'_Is that what happened?'_ The woman shook her head. _'That explains much. No, the Legendary Lord did not tell me that.'_ She affixed Catherine with a beady expression. _'You _will_ overcome this disorder, milady,'_ she said, very firmly. _'I will not see you slowly kill yourself because you are afraid of what lies within you.' _

'_Why?'_ Catherine cried, too tired to flail but doing so inwardly. _'You don't even know me; you've hardly talked to me at all before today! Why—'_

'_On the contrary, Lady Ki Breaker,'_ the Northwest Librarian interrupted. The glint of her eyes had intensified. _'I know you very well. You are very valuable here in the Demon Dimension, and not only because of your commendable character. We absolutely cannot afford to lose you before your destiny is fulfilled.' _

Taking advantage of Catherine's stunned silence, Northwest reached down to her side. With a slight pop! a gargantuan carpet bag appeared. The Librarian clicked her fingers; the bag pursed its handles rather like lips and spit into her lap three books of medium size, the topmost of which the Northwest opened.

'_Thank you, Lydinadansku,'_ she said formally. The bag bowed, hopped, and disappeared with another pop!, this one much louder than the other one. _'Now,'_ she said, piercing Catherine again with her steely eyes, _'we are going to have a talk.' _

:-:-:-:

A week after the ki withdrawal scare, Catherine was well enough to be moved to the Llewellyn Wells. She went with the distant well-wishes of her friends, for the quintet-minus-one was still unable to come near her. The Healers were pleased, inordinately so, by the Lady Ki Breaker's progress, and thankful to the Northwest Librarian for having her priorities straight. None were more thankful than Tenna, and, quite correctly, she thanked Kakkhanadori.

Since his flight from the Hospital, Kakkhanadori had lapsed into a semi-permanent brooding phase that persevered throughout the entire week. When he heard that the Northwest Librarian had been in to see their friend, his mood lightened, but he was still not the open Kakkhanadori he had been before the scare. In fact, he acted, Tenna said, like he did before Catherine came.

He didn't see it that way.

Nevertheless, when Catherine left the Demon Dimension, it was an unsubtle shock. He knew he was not the only one: Tenna looked saddened, Ilowe seemed disoriented, and even Hodaia was shaken out of her usual calm. The day dragged on long, and around every corner he expected to see the shock of black hair, pale skin, and black eyes of Catherine's glamour. The citizens of the City were muted in appearance, gray covered everything, and the faraway Tower, always magnificent and dignified, seemed silly and overdone.

When InuYasha showed up to escort him to the Himeno Tsuruki Café, he was more grateful than he had ever felt in his life.

'_Hello, Inu,'_ he greeted in his customary way. _'It's been a long time.'_

'_Sure it has,'_ the dog agreed. _'I haven't been needed for a while.'_

'_What do you mean?' _He stopped walking and stared down at the akuma. Inu's red eyes flashed.

'_I mean that you haven't needed me to go to your friends lately,'_ It growled. _'Likely you don't need me now, but the Lady sent me to make sure.' _

'_The Lady sent you?'_ he repeated. Anger began to bubble within him; his ki center thrummed. _'Why would She do that?' _

'_Why don't you ask Her?' _Inu suggested. _'She'll likely give _you_ the answers She wouldn't give _me.'It grumbled.

'_I think I'll do that,'_ he replied. _'Would you go to the Café and warn the others I will not be there?' _He came out of his seething fog long enough to check the demon's reaction: disdain. _'Or you could just leave them there, and come with me to the Lady.' _

Inu brightened. _'Yeah!'_ It crowed. _'My chance to see a Deity dressed down! Let's go!' _It raced ahead of him on the Road of the World outlining the edge of the High Market to the Basilica Vitae.

'_What is the meaning of this?' _he inquired as soon as he left the portal into the Lady's workshop. Though his stance was respectful, his face was cold; Inu grinned in glee.

'_I had hoped I would not need to have this conversation with you.'_ The Lady floated out of Her alcove, Her veil obscuring Her face, and Her tone measured. She sighed.

'_Dear Immortal,'_ said the Deity, folding Her hands over each other. _'Do listen to me carefully. The Lady Ki Breaker's presence ties you to your friends and ultimately to her. Have you not noticed that when she was here, you gathered with your friends daily? You were never so regular before her arrival. She has exercised a good influence on you, and I worried that without her nearby, that influence would be negated. _

'_Judging by your indignation, my assumptions were incorrect. I do apologize. I had not thought my caution would offend you so.' _

'_What do you mean, Catherine's presence ties me to the others?'_ he asked intently._ 'I met the others before she came, three years before in fact. They were my friends long before she was.'_

'_Were they?'_ the Lady inquired gently. _'Did you have any regard for them at all? Or did you see them as an obligation, a substitute for the loneliness you knew you would face without them?'_ She shook Her head. _'They were not your friends, my Immortal, until three months ago.'_

He saw Her smile through the veil; Her voice was sad. _'Your fates are intertwined. I only hope your destinies do not lead you astray.' _She turned to Inu. _'Inuyashanukuma, please escort the Immortal to the Himeno Tsuruki Café.' _

It bowed. _'Come on, Legendary. Your friends are waiting.'_ It nudged at Kakkhanadori's legs. _'I ain't leaving you alone until we get there.'_

Moving slowly, he turned. The portal glowed brightly, but he did not register it, only that the scene had changed. Inu nudged at his legs again, to get him moving, and did not stop until he was sitting with a concerned Tenna patting his hand. Even then, he perceived hazily, It did not leave him, but remained sitting by his side, ears pricked, on guard.

:-:-:-:

Though the location of his brother's burial site was well-known to him, he had never visited it in the five years he had lived in the City. Still, the road he walked upon to get to it was as familiar to him as his own face, and it took very little time for him to penetrate the Prennan Woods and find the Cemetery it contained.

The gate that surrounded the clearing the gravediggers had made around the tombstone opened silently. Ghosting through it, he ignored the slight draft the gate made as it closed after him. Instead he fastened his eyes upon the grave marker, the flowers heaped in mountains all over it, and the sundry other gifts that the Demon Dimension had donated to the daily reverence of the Prince of Puzzles' final resting site. The words engraved into the white stone of the marker were starkly elegant, reminding him harshly whose life had ended so many years ago:

Here Lies

Lord Menrui

Prince of Puzzles

May the Gods grant him a favorable afterlife

When he read the words, he felt it, that package of emotions that he had denied himself five years ago. He felt the shock, the grief, that indefinable hollow sensation, and over it all the unbearable loneliness that had driven him to Vorízentai, the loneliness that had him accepting the company of strangers, that loneliness that had him rejecting the only true family he'd ever had. The loneliness that had choked his ki center into the state of half-death, the loneliness that no one else would understand, but Menrui.

The tears that dripped from his face to the stone were his gift to his brother, the only soul he'd willingly called family. They carried all of his lost dreams, the part of his heart that had died with his brother, the grief and pain that would never end. They carried the memories that were tainted now, the guilt, and the shame that he had not respected his brother's passing properly, that the last words they had spoken to each other were ones of anger. They carried away that part of himself that he'd held onto for so long, that he wouldn't be able to retrieve now. They fell, and he cried.

There was not a living entity in that place to watch the Legendary Lord cry, as he finally overcame his weakness. The various tombstones, gargoyles, gates, and grave offerings were his only witnesses, his only supports in a City full of life.

They mourned with him.

When Kakkhanadori finally left, the air of sorrow around the gravestone was much lighter.

:-:-:-:

'_Kakkhanadori?'_ Tenna asked. He looked up at the tall elfin form of his friend. She looked as if she had just remembered something. _'Come with me to the Cuisinery?'_

He looked around. Hodaia and Ilowe had mysteriously disappeared in the last half-hour, and Tenna clearly wanted to talk to him about something. _'Okay,'_ he nodded, standing up from his laptop. He closed and locked it, so no one could get in, but added for good measure a note saying, "STAY OUT ILOWE" on the top, to Tenna's amusement. _'All right, I'm ready.' _

They were out of the Records Hall where they had gathered for that day before Tenna started in on the reason she pulled him out. _'I wanted to talk to you about that day at the Hospital, when you brought Catherine in. Do you remember how you stayed by the door and wouldn't come in until the Healer made you?'_

He nodded, understanding what she wanted. _'Yes. I hope you understood the look I gave you.' _

'_That's what I wanted to talk about,'_ she agreed. _'Was it because you thought she was twisted because you stayed there?' _

'_Obviously you didn't understand,'_ he muttered. He sighed when Tenna raised her eyebrows. _'No. That thought hasn't even crossed my mind since then.' _

They entered the doors of the Cuisinery and began milling around. Tenna obtained a basket and slowly began filling it.

'_Why did you stay there then?' _she asked when the basket was a quarter full. Kakkhanadori glanced into the basket and added another item to it.

'_I thought she might want the space. She had, after all, just faced Vorízentai a second time, during which her glamour was ripped off. I thought she might be nervous if I crowded in on her before she was ready.' _

She studied him for a long moment. _'You were there, weren't you? You saw her glamour come off.' _

'_Yes,'_ he admitted. _'Didn't I tell you that?' _

She shook her head, her face tired. _'That lends credence to what you're saying,'_ she said quietly. _'But I thought Catherine seemed to be all right.'_ She picked up a batisna.

He shrugged. _'I think that's because you had already gone in, seen her true face, and accepted it. I could sense the nervousness in her voice when she asked for you.' _

'_Is that what you were warning me about? Before I went in?' _

'_Yes,' _he confirmed. _'I was proven wrong, of course, but before that I didn't know what to expect.'_ He paused. _'I was surprised by how relaxed she seemed about people—especially us—seeing past her glamour. I would have expected her to hide her face when I came in, at least.' _

'_You don't think she trusts us?' _Tenna stopped in the middle of the aisle and faced him with her arms awkwardly crossed over the basket.

He looked at her. _'She trusts you, definitely,'_ he said slowly. _'I don't know about Ilowe and Hodaia, but I know I'm on pins and needles with her.'_ He sighed.

'_Hey.'_ He raised an eyebrow at the serious Tenna standing across from him. _'_You_ are the one she trusts most. I'm a shadow of a second compared to you. Don't disrespect her by doubting her this way anymore.' _

He was silent. _'That's what she said,'_ he told her at length. Tenna opened her mouth, but closed it; she had nothing to say to that.

Momentarily they began walking again. _'You really think that I am a calming influence on Nay-chan?' _Tenna asked after putting several vegetables in the basket. Kakkhanadori was startled into a laugh.

'_Yes, Tenna,'_ he said when he could be coherent. _'I rather think you are.' _

The Drake huffed. _'Well, you don't have to be so smug about it!' _she cried. When Kakkhanadori only looked at her, she threw her hands in the air. _'Oh!'_ she cried and stomped away. Unfortunately, she wasn't looking where she was going—well, she was lucky she didn't spill anything from her basket.

'_I'm so sorry,'_ she exclaimed to the person she'd bumped into. Kakkhanadori bent to help pick up the various items that the other person had spilled; he quirked his eyebrow at the sight of whom Tenna had chosen to bump into. A demi-Griffin he was, he possessed electric blue hair and striking cat's-eyes, yellow in iris and slitted in pupils. Though he had human hands and face and body, his hair was dotted with feathers that matched the wings peeking out from behind him.

'_I know you,'_ Tenna exclaimed. _'You're Anton, right?'_

'_You're Tenna,'_ smiled Anton. Kakkhanadori supposed that smiling, the demi-griffin didn't look so haughty. It was a pleasant change. _'We danced together at Los Sueños.' _

'_That's right.'_ Tenna blushed. Kakkhanadori decided then that he needed to remove himself from the scene before he did anything Tenna might regret. Whispering to her that he'd be right back, he backed away from the both of them and disappeared down the next aisle. Shaking his head, he pretended to browse the contents of the shelves while actually keeping an ear out for any suspicious business from the two he'd just left. He'd have to warn Anton against hurting Tenna when he "got back". Nothing quite like threats to get the message across.

Deciding the two had had enough time, he headed back. Indeed, by the time he was within reasonable distance of them, they had a date set up for that weekend. With a knowing glance at Tenna, he said to Anton, _'You do know what will happen to you if you hurt Tenna?'_ Tenna groaned; he ignored her. _'I will gather from various sources your baby pictures, caption them, and distribute them throughout the entire Dimension. _

'_The _entire_ Dimension,'_ he said to the wide-eyed demi-Griffin, _'not just the City. Since you have been warned in advance, I expect you to pay special care and attention to Tenna; I don't want to her any complaints from her because you're not treating her like the goddess she is. Do you understand me?' _

Though Anton was smiling a bit, he managed to nod very solemnly. Kakkhanadori nodded in satisfaction. _'Good,'_ he said. _'Now, Tenna, I believe you said something about bread sticks?' _

:-:-:-:

'_What was that back there?' _Tenna hissed when they finally exited the Cuisinery. Kakkhanadori shrugged.

'_Just playing Ilowe's part,'_ he said nonchalantly. _'Since he couldn't be there to do it himself.' _

'_You embarrassed me!'_ she shrieked, flailing her arms. Kakkhanadori thought he was glad he was carrying the groceries after all. _'What will Anton think of me?'_

'_If he allows himself to be scared off so easily by _that_ threat_, _then he isn't worth dating in the first place_,' he retorted. _'Don't worry about it, Tenna. You and he will be fine.' _

They had re-entered the Records Hall by this time. The Northwest Librarian was luckily out of the building running errands, so they weren't told off for bringing food into the Hall. Ilowe popped up at that moment to ask, _'Who and who will be fine?' _

'_Tenna and Anton, this demi-Griffin we bumped into at the Cuisinery today. They're going on a date this weekend.' _

'_Ooh!' _Ilowe snarked. _'Did you give him the Ilowe treatment for me?' _

'_Yep,'_ Kakkhanadori said, his face a neutral contrast to his words. _'The I'm-going-to-find-your-baby-pictures-and-use-them-as-blackmail-if-you-hurt-Tenna tactic.'_

'_Did you say the _entire_ Dimension, not just the City?'_ When Kakkhanadori nodded, Ilowe snickered. _'Niiice.'_

'_Honestly,'_ Tenna huffed. _'You two are so immature.' _

'_Better than being so stuck up you can't have fun,'_ Ilowe retorted. As Tenna shrieked at him, Kakkhanadori shook his head. _'You want to help me get these upstairs before the Librarian comes back?'_ he said to the equally unamused Hodaia. She nodded.

Together they edged their way out of the way of the warring couple and up the stairs. They looked at each other with raised eyebrows when the distinctive screech of the Northwest Librarian floated into the air behind them; they by mutual assent picked up their pace.

They were _not_ about get into trouble for something that didn't involve them.

:-:-:-:

A/n: Mm. Well, classes are officially over. Now it's just time for reading week and then finals. Bleagh. Since I had the time, and I said I would update around this time, I decided to put this chapter up...

Also, I forgot to put this in last chapter: "I have to give thanks to **Lov3the3vil** for helping me out with a _huge_ majority of this chapter. She was going over three different versions of this story at once, and she eventually picked the one that you, the readers, see before you now. Give it up for **Lov3the3vil**! :)" So, just cut and paste into the previous chapter and accept my apologies for not crediting you, Lovey! (Bows repeatedly)

Well, there's really nothing else to say, except I wish there the fanfiction on my faves list would UPDATE already, but oh well...

:-:-:-:

SNEAK PREVIEW OF: Homecoming

'_I won't,'_ sparkled Tenna. _'I say this because Catherine then won't have a ride back to our apartment.' _

'_I'll take her,'_ he offered, choosing to ignore the obvious setup Tenna was plotting. Catherine smiled at Tenna, too, but resignedly.

:-:-:-:

Thanks to **lpgohanfanatic** and **Lov3the3vil** for reviewing! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

See you next time!

**TheShadowPanther** and Allati, from **AASN**

**AASN;** Writing is what we do for you at **AASN**. Enjoy.

_Updated 04.29.08_


	12. Chapter Eleven: Homecoming

**Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper**

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha!

Chapter Eleven: Homecoming

In the four weeks since Catherine had left for the Llewellyn Wells, Kakkhanadori had been busy. With the additional absence of Tenna due to her new boyfriend Anton, Ilowe had taken it upon himself _not_ to allow either him or Hodaia to retreat into the background socially as per their natural inclination. This meant that the Nightmare not only dragged them everywhere, but he forced them to participate in the various fun and games he found.

Furthermore, Kakkhanadori had restarted his daily chronicle of events (which he had not kept up since Catherine's arrival, much to his disgust and wonder if she had changed him that much) and also began the habit of visiting Earth every once in a while. Just last week, he had waited with Chokiiro at her school for Goten, who was unaccountably late to pick her up for over twenty minutes.

The week before that, he had watched as Trunks won the science fair at _his_ school and, next door, as Goten came in a close third in the archery tournament.

This past week had, however, been a more staid one, as the atmosphere of the City had become increasingly anticipatory. The new trio had not gone out so much as in the previous weeks, but stayed closer to home and talked more than anything else.

(To his chagrin, he could now almost stomach Ilowe's histrionics, much less smile at them. He was far more amenable to the idea that he could see what Hodaia was thinking better by being able to interpret her body language more accurately).

Tenna had also managed to detach herself from Anton a few times and showed up a bundle of nerves at his house several times that week.

As an inevitable result of this staid pace, he had become more contemplative, especially of the Lady's words the day of Catherine's departure. The thought that Catherine was responsible for his spending more time with his friends as bothersome, as well as that he was incapable of living healthily without her, and that his fate was intertwined with hers—he had much to occupy himself with. Underneath it all, nevertheless, was the nagging worry that his very proximity to Catherine still had the capability of destroying her.

It was the final day of week four when the expectant air of the City outside of the Basilica Officii positively hummed. He looked around in disorientation, once again subject to that phenomenon of landing outside of the Basilica when he had intended to embark upon another mission instead. Restoring his bearings shortly, however, he quickly struck out into the Market, dodging the tens of people in the way of him and the Himeno Tsuruki Café—

'_Kakkhanadori!' _Ilowe waved at him. _'You're just in time,'_ he grinned. _'Catherine is due to arrive at the Hospital in seven minutes time—'_ He pointed at the crazily bent pole topped by a clock ticking off the seconds. It was nearly noon.

He nodded in acknowledgement. Hodaia hurried up just as he settled himself into his normal seat, with six minutes to go—

Tenna only barely made it to their table before the bell rung, signaling the arrival of Lord Midday. With a delighted _'Oh!'_ Tenna was darting off again, this time across the Plaza to the other side of the Market, where the Hospital was. The other three relaxed as coiled snakes within them loosened and began to dissolve.

'_Whew,'_ Ilowe breathed, clutching at his ribs. _'I never knew how tense I was about this until Catherine finally arrived.' _He looked over his two table fellows, who he observed to feel the same way. _'What is she at the Hospital for, you reckon?' _

'_Likely it's to check her over a final time and make sure she's fully recovered,'_ Kakkhanadori answered. He shook his head. _'Healers can be so overzealous sometimes when it comes to the health of their patients.'_

'_Especially since Cath was recovered since a week and a half ago,'_ Ilowe snorted. _'It does make you wonder,'_ he added thoughtfully, _'why she didn't come back then.' _

'_She may have physically been healed, but mentally is a different story,'_ the Saiyan argued. Hodaia nodded agreement; Ilowe, laughing, held up his hands.

'_I was just kidding!' _he teased, wriggling his stumpy fingers. _'It made for good conversation in any case.'_ He wrinkled his nose at Kakkhanadori's dark look. _'What's with the hair, anyway?' _

He touched a hand to the object of Ilowe's query. _'Oh,'_ he sighed at the feel of the braids, beads, and leaves woven into his hair. _'I had to pretend to be an Elf today, to get past the Fay guarding the Royal Archives. My mission was to steal the naval plans.' _

Ilowe snorted. _'Why couldn't you change it before you got here?' _

'_I couldn't exactly miss Catherine's homecoming, now could I?' _he retorted. _'So I'll thank you to—'_

'_Catherine!' _Ilowe shrieked, sitting bolt upright in his seat. He turned in his seat to follow the Nightmare's line of sight—

—and had to catch his breath when Catherine came into view.

Though she was wearing her glamour again, thanks to the amulet he and Hodaia had made for her, the Saiyan could still see flashes of the real Human underneath. She appeared healthy and robust, contrary to the last image he had of her convulsing on her bed, and when she turned her head, she was smiling more broadly than he had ever seen her smile before.

'_Hey!'_ she cried. Her voice burrowed deep into his brain, imprinted itself in a way it had never done before; it robbed him of breath again with its cheerfulness. _'It's been a long time!' _

'_You look wonderful!'_ Ilowe cried, leaping up to hug her. _'How do you feel?' _

Shaken out of his daze, he followed Ilowe out of his seat. When the Nightmare finally stepped back from her, he took his opportunity.

Covering her shoulder with his arm, he greeted, _'Welcome back, Catherine.' _

When she smiled at him, it was as if the sun had returned to his life when he hadn't even noticed it had gone. _'Thanks!'_ she exclaimed, returning his embrace with eyes bright. _'It's really good to be back.' _She next accepted Hodaia's bicep touch with a curious look.

'_Yes?'_ she asked. She smiled again when the Illusionist nodded to her. _'Hello to you too, Daia.'_ She shocked the addressee of her greeting by embracing her warmly.

Watching her interact with others in a relaxed, carefree and laughing way, he felt all his doubts and worries melt away. He considered that perhaps being tied to the others by Catherine was not so unfortunate, that the Lady truly knew what She was doing (and She always did, really) and was just being cryptic again.

He was grateful also for the fact that being near Catherine did not appear to be causing her any problems ki-wise. In fact, her **presence** was thrumming healthily, with no indication of an imminent collapse due to all of the familiar sources of ki around her. If she could keep up her ki drains as well as she seemed to have, it was likely she would have no problems.

With that cheerful thought in mind, he joined in on the festivities as if he'd always been a part of them.

:-:-:-:

After a day that was simultaneously long and yet over too quickly, the group treated Catherine to dinner at a fancy restaurant well beyond the borders of the City. Her homecoming had united the quintet for a common cause, and though he knew it wasn't likely to be so tomorrow, he still reveled in it.

At the moment, in fact, they were preparing to depart for their homes. Ilowe had to swing by a gift shop to pick up something for Catherine, while Hodaia was going with him to replace some of her tools so she could make ready to work on Catherine's glamour. Tenna teased the both of them, saying they had been disappearing together far too many times. She added to the statement, however, by announcing:

'_Speaking of disappearing together,'_ she started slyly, her sparkling eyes bright. _'I have to say goodnight to Anton.' _

'_Oh, no,'_ he groaned, echoed by Ilowe. Catherine instantly smiled and gave a huge wink to her roommate.

'_You be good,'_ she said, her words belying her excitement. _'Don't do anything I wouldn't do.' _

'_I won't,'_ sparkled Tenna. _'I say this because Catherine then won't have a ride back to our apartment.' _

'_I'll take her,'_ he offered, choosing to ignore the obvious setup Tenna was plotting. Catherine smiled at Tenna, too, but resignedly.

'_Thanks, Kakkhanadori.'_ Tenna shot Catherine a meaningful look. _'Well, I'm off!' _

As Tenna herded Ilowe and Hodaia out the door, he looked at Catherine. _'Well,'_ he remarked.

'_Well,'_ responded the smiling Human.

'_Since we're not in the City,'_ he said, starting for the door, _'I can't City-zoom you. However...'_

He opened the door and allowed Catherine through. _'I do have other means of transportation.' _

Her mouth fell open as he gestured. As if it had been born to be there, the giant motorcycle lounged with a nonchalant air. Polished to a high shine, the machine was all chrome pipes, leather casing, and sleekness. It demonstrated one man's need for speed, or so Kakkhanadori liked to say.

Of course, Catherine was still gaping when they stopped in front of it. _'My pride and joy,'_ he said affectionately, touching the seat lightly. _'The one luxury I gave myself besides my weapons.' _

'_You drove that over?'_ she squeaked, finding her voice. He smirked.

'_I thought it might be a good idea,'_ he explained. _'I take it out so rarely; it's not a good idea to just let a motorcycle sit and get no exercise. It needs to be shown off every once in a while.' _

'_Show off, all right,'_ Catherine muttered. _'I don't suppose you have any helmets?' _

'_I do.' _He reached over and retrieved the helmets, giving the extra to Catherine. _'If you don't like motorcycles, that's fine. Just hang on tight to me, close your eyes, and I'll have you home in a jiff.' _

'_I'm not closing my eyes while on that thing.' _She eyed "that thing" suspiciously.

He only chuckled. Helping the woman put her helmet on, he donned his and climbed onto the motorcycle. The vehicle instantly warmed at his touch, seeming to spring to attention when his hands curled around the handlebars. He waited until Catherine had gingerly seated herself behind him, wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, and bolstered herself with a deep, steadying breath.

'_Okay,'_ she called to him, fortified. _'I'm ready.' _

She nearly screamed when he started up the motorcycle and revved it. At the noise, several heads within and without the restaurant swiveled around. He paid no heed to them as he kicked off and began slowly coasting to the exit. Catherine's grip on him was comfortably tight, but, he knew, what was "comfortably tight" for a Saiyan (and an Immortal at that), was more likely "choking" for a Human.

Checking both ways, he rolled into traffic. He drove casually, but kept a professional eye out, a task made slightly harder with a tense Catherine behind him. But Subayaku, his faithful vehicle, did not fail him: Soon they were traveling on the Road of Heaven, which lead straight to the City, and would be nearing it in a matter of minutes.

'_This isn't so bad,'_ Catherine told him suddenly. He didn't look back, not from navigating between crowds of people going back and forth, but he made sure Catherine knew his amusement.

'_Be quiet!' _she cried to his laughter. She couldn't do anything else to rebuke him, so, grumbling, she resettled into her seat.

They made it through the Gates and turned onto the Road of the World, where the crowds thinned out; Subayaku picked up its pace. Demonic Parks flashed by, as did the intra-City entryway called the Road of the Stars the he himself never used, and the Village, where Los Sueños Dorados was located. They turned onto the Wanderland Way and finally came within the Seren Wanderlands.

'_We're here,'_ he said over his shoulder. Catherine looked around, recognized her apartment building, and seemed to sag all at once. Kakkhanadori smiled to himself, patted Subayaku until the Human had climbed off. He put the helmets away, dismounted, and clicked the capsule in his hand. Subayaku glinted once, then disappeared with a _poof!_ Catherine's voice calling, "Thank you, Subayaku!"

At the last, he glanced at Catherine. She had a semi-guilty look on her face, but it faded when he only smirked at her.

'_It seems you have proven yourself worthy'_ was all he said. _'Foreknowledge,'_ he elaborated when she looked confused.

'_That's what's been happening to me?'_ Relief was evident in Catherine's tone. She blew out a breath. _'I thought I was going crazy!' _

'_No,'_ he reassured her. _'Do you know why you said "Thank you, Subayaku"?'_

'_That's your motorcycle's name, isn't it?' _

He nodded, smiling smugly. _'Do you want me to wait with you until Tenna returns?' _

'_Would you?'_ Catherine asked. She blinked. _'Somehow I Knew you were going to ask that.'_

'_Not somehow,'_ he reminded her. _'I Knew how you were going to answer, too, though I didn't necessarily need Foreknowledge to tell me.' _

A small smile answered him; together they went inside. Tenna's apartment was almost stiflingly hot after the cool evening. Catherine's eyes lit up; she headed over to the computer, held her hands out.

'_Watch this,'_ she said, glancing at him over her shoulder. He nodded at her to show he was attentive. Ki started streaming from the computer to her, but before too much could be taken, she slowed the flow to a gentle stop.

'_Very nice,'_ he complimented. She developed a pleased smile upon hearing this.

'_Thanks,'_ she accepted. _'I've been practicing really hard at this.'_

'_I can tell.'_ He shrugged off his coat. _'Was that part of what the Northwest Librarian told you?'_

'_Among other things.'_ She gestured next to the television. _'Her books also told me to drain from multiple ki sources, not just one.'_ The television dutifully surrendered its excess ki.

'_Oh!'_ she pointed to a drooping tree in the corner that was wilting not from being fed too little, but from being fed too much. _'I have another thing to show you. It has to do with draining one source of ki while refusing another at the same time.'_

'_Really?'_

She nodded and motioned from him to come over. _'The Healers said I shouldn't ingest your energy for at least five months, to let my ki center get used to proper forms of ki, whatever that means,'_ she rolled her eyes, _'so this'll be good practice.' _

'_Ingest?'_ he inquired, raising his eyebrows.

Catherine held up her hands. _'That's what they said.'_ She smiled at him. _'It sounds like I'm eating energy or something, doesn't it?'_

'_It does.'_ He walked over to her and looked upon the curling floral. _'So, how are we going to do this?' _

'_You stand behind me,'_ he did, _'and put your fingers on my palms, like this.'_ She showed him what she meant. _'And then you try to put energy into me.' _

'_What would happen if I managed to put ki into you?'_ he worried.

'_I'd probably get sick for a little bit,'_ she answered honestly. _'But you're not going to get it into me. Watch.'_

She touched the plant and leeched the beginnings of its excess ki. _'Now try to get the energy into me.' _

He pushed lightly at her palms with his ki offerings, but he was repelled by a reactionary pressure. Catherine chastised him for his gentleness with her eyes; he pushed harder. The same pressure again intervened, but this time his energy streamed into the ground instead of returning to him.

He forced harder yet.

Now the pressure increased, but only to continue to divert the energy into the floor. Catherine had ceased her thievery of the tree's excess ki, (the plant was looking considerably happier, he noticed) but focused on repulsing his ki with a single-minded intent he had not seen from her in all the months he knew her.

'_That's good,'_ he told her, decreasing the current of his ki. _'Impressive,'_ he said when she looked up. She smiled tiredly.

'_I can do that without taking energy first, but it takes more energy out of me at this point than less. It's the same for the split-focus technique—that's what that's called—but it gets easier every time I do it.' _

'_For only two weeks of a recovered ki center, that's not half bad,'_ he reassured her. _'Were you working on this as your center recovered?' _

'_Yeah,' _she said. _'I think it actually helped build it up again faster. Certainly getting a variety of ki from different ki sources helped.' _

'_I'm glad,'_ he said quietly. He stated absently, _'Tenna's about to come in.'_

'_You're right.'_ The Human seemed slightly disappointed. _'Well, thanks for helping me. It was fun doing the last exercise with you.' _

'_Thanks for showing me,'_ he returned, still quiet. He stepped away. _'You put my mind even more at ease.' _

'_Huh?'_ She stared at him, but he turned away. Tenna chose that moment to come stomping in, muttering obscenities under her breath.

'_That (censored) (censored),'_ she was saying. _'He aggravates me to no end!'_

'_What has Ilowe done now?'_ he asked automatically. Tenna glanced at him sharply.

'_Not Ilowe,'_ she sniffed. _'_Anton.'

'_O-kay.'_ He guided his hands to his pockets. _'What has _he_ done?' _

'_Nothing major,'_ the Drake told him frostily. _'We just had a fight, that's all.' _

'_Which is a euphemism for "I don't want to talk about it",'_ he translated. Tenna cracked a smile that was really a grimace. _'I'll leave you to rant to Catherine then; I know how much more comfortable you are with her than me.'_ He vanished outside the door.

Emerging from the building after descending the stairs and cross the Atrium, he paused. _'Women,'_ he snorted. _'I don't think I'll ever understand them.' _He shook his head. _'Time to hunt down Anton,'_ he informed himself matter-of-factly, _'and grab some of his baby pictures while I'm at it.' _

Whistling, the Legendary Lord set off.

:-:-:-:

A/n: Well, well, well. Only a week after my last update. Not bad. This is being updated, of course, in place of a fourteen-page research-paper that's due tomorrow...that I haven't started. Whatever. I hope you guys are happy.

:)

Urgh, I miss writing. I can't stand not writing. Stupid college. (Wails)

:-:-:-:

SNEAK PREVIEW OF: Acceptance

'_As if _that_ would solve the problem,'_ Tenna scoffed, but Inu's mouth only widened, showing more teeth than possible.

'_The Horsemen haven't heard from the Legendary in a while...'_ It snickered as Kakkhanadori groaned in understanding.

:-:-:-:

Thanks to **Lov3the3vil **and **lpgohanfanatic** for reviewing! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as the last one!

Ciao,

**TheShadowPanther** and Allati, from **AASN**

**AASN;** Writing is what we do for you at **AASN**. Enjoy.

_Updated 05.06.08_


	13. Chapter Twelve: Acceptance

**Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper **

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha!

Chapter Twelve: Acceptance

'_I can't believe that everyone besides Kakkhanadori will be traveling this summer!' _Tenna cried, looking around at their table. _'We can't leave him all alone!' _

'_I'm going to be fine,'_ the aforementioned Immortal said. _'More likely than not I'll be on a mission for the entire summer.' _

'_You'll still have to come home to an empty house!' _

'_I always come home to an empty house; what does that have to do with being on a summer-long mission?' _

'_There's no one sharing your house?'_ Catherine questioned suddenly, turning in her seat. _'I didn't know that.' _

Five months had passed since Catherine returned from the Llewellyn Wells, and she was literally better than ever. He nodded at her. _'Yep, I'm all by my lonesome.' _

'_It's not like you don't have the room,'_ Tenna sniped. _'You probably even added another room for Catherine.' _

'_I have not.'_ He eyed her. _'Though I'm sure I could throw one of you out...'_

'_You're not going to be able to intimidate me with that,'_ Tenna stated very firmly. _'At this point, I'm thinking about staying home with you.' _

He rolled his eyes. It was Ilowe who reminded Tenna, _'You can't. The Dragon Festival is __**not**__ something you can just decide to miss on a whim. Besides,'_ he pouted winningly, _'we like all the fancy gifts you bring back for us.' _

The Drake snorted. _'It's not like _you_ can talk, what with you being assigned as interpreter for this year's akuma ambassador entourage. Fine time to be recognized as a Linguist, Ilowe!' _

The Nightmare shrugged; Tenna turned to Hodaia next. _'And _you_,' _she seethed, _'are going _where_, exactly?' _

'_The Fifth Dimension,'_ the object of fury informed her. She shrugged in a long, slow movement. _'Its demise is near. Or it will be.' _

Tenna huffed again. _'You're visiting your home planet again, so you're not going to be available,'_ she said to Catherine. The Human remained wisely silent. _'Which brings us back around to the square one: Kakkhanadori will be alone for three months _at least._' _

The ongoing argument was interrupted when InuYasha strolled in, Its red eyes gleaming as Its paws shuffled.

'_Hello, Inu,' _Kakkhanadori greeted automatically when the akuma was close enough to hear. _'What brings you out here?'_

'_The Legendary ain't gonna be alone while his four comrades are gone,'_ the dog grinned, maliciously it seemed. _'_I'm_ gonna be staying with him 'til one of you returns.' _

'_As if _that_ would solve the problem,'_ Tenna scoffed, but Inu's mouth only widened, showing more teeth than possible.

'_The Horsemen haven't heard from the Legendary in a while...'_ It snickered as Kakkhanadori groaned in understanding.

'_You happy now?' _he demanded of Tenna, who did seem markedly more cheerful. _'I can't believe this is actually happening.' _

'_Believe it,'_ Inu told him. _'The Deities cannot afford to have such a precious burden left to his own devices, not if those devices mean he would drop any communications he didn't have to make.'_

'_Thanks,'_ he said to the smirking demon scornfully. _'The concern you have just displayed for me is so heartwarming.' _

Catherine grinned at his sarcasm. He shot her a dark look, but her amusement didn't abate. _'I'll come back early from my visit and rescue you from your misery, Kakkhanadori,'_ she promised him. Her eyes were alit in the way that invariably lightened his mood, whatever that mood so chose to be. He shook his head at her, but not in denial of her assurance.

'_That's nice of you, Catherine,'_ sniffed Tenna mock-emotionally. She dabbed at her eyes. _'So heroic of you to give up your right for the friendship of others!' _

His dark mood returned with a vengeance. The Drake was rescued from the fresh attack of his tongue by the arrival of the Café fare they had spontaneously ordered. The food delighted them enough that they did not employ their mouths other than in eating, but he _would_ remember the teasing he'd just been subject to; Tenna _would_ know his thoughts.

She received them the following hour, but she, and the rest of them, himself included, forgot them in the rush to prepare for their travels. Though he was not directly involved in these preparations, he was often called upon to help hunt for an item that one of the four simply could _not_ do without. He expended as much energy as the packers themselves because of this—a feeling almost akin to relief accompanied his farewells to them.

He was unable to appreciate the increasing peace and quiet for too long, for, now that he was free, his missions increased in duration. The war between the Fay and the Druids became an even commoner point of entry for him, and he stayed longer. Nevertheless, Inu was as good as Its threats, and the Horsemen were quickly reacquainted with his odd quirks and peculiar idiosyncrasies. But not more than two weeks passed before he received a surprise.

'_Catherine!'_ he called one afternoon at the Dimension Keeper Headquarters. She swung around at the sound of her name; her eyes searched for him. He made her cause easier when he loped over to her and laid a concerned hand on her elbow.

'_What are you doing back so early?'_ he questioned, gazing at the strained expression her face wore.

She tried to smile, as if sensing he could see her pain. _'I...had a bit of trouble down on Earth.'_ She breathed deeply. _'The person I...I need protection from, he found me.'_ Her smile faltered.

'_Mm,'_ he responded. _'Well, I'm glad you got here safe and sound.' _The strained look faded; she relaxed visibly. _'How did you know to find me here? Foreknowledge?'_

'_No, actually,'_ she told him. _'Penelope told me where to go; she was waiting for me at the HTC. She said to tell you to, quote "quit hiding at the DK Headquarters and get your butt out there," unquote.'_

'_Ahh, they know me so well,'_ he quipped. His reward was bright in Catherine's natural smile. _'Since I'm not done "hiding" yet, let me introduce you to some of my colleagues.'_ He gestured. _'There's Aleil'_—the stocky, over-built humanoid nodded curtly—_'and Jojo, the bossiest creature you will ever come across'_—Jojo glared at him—'_and Khatun.' _The toad he motioned to blinked orangely. _'They are the trio of techies that run our part of the Dimensional Board during my shift and the next, which is what this shift is now. Techies, this is Catherine, one of my friends.' _

The Ki Breaker said her hellos and received polite greetings in return. He led her away from them and to the Dimensional Board he had mentioned. _'As you can see, the Board is a wall full of tiny computer screens. All of these screens represent one universe within a dimension, and they can show as many as a thousand or so images per second. _

'_The numbers above each cluster of screens,'_ he motioned to the ceiling, where distant plaques with numbers could barely be made out, _'show which dimension the universes are in. We Earthlings are a part of Dimension Eleven, or "The Spiral" as it's known, while the Demon Dimension is in a league of its own in 10565. A big number, I know, but there aren't that many dimensions in actuality.' _He shrugged. _'There might have been that many at one time, but not any more.' _

'_What happened to them?'_ Catherine asked, fascinated. He smirked at this.

'_They were destroyed,'_ he said bluntly, _'or they collapsed on their own. You have to understand,'_ he told the stunned face staring at him, _'that the labels we attach to the Dimensions we managed are just that: Labels. The current Eleventh Dimension is _not_ the eleventh dimension ever created, more like the eleventh millionth. It just got inconvenient to keep track after the twenty thousands, especially when the dimensions from the ten thousands down started collapsing. That is, except for the Demon Dimension.'_ He smiled.

'_This is the most talkative I've ever heard you be,'_ Catherine exclaimed, her teeth flashing her amusement. He snorted wryly at that.

'_I can actually get a word in edgewise,'_ he muttered. She laughed at this, a quick melody of sound that made him grin in return.

'_Anything more for me to look at?'_ she asked, her eyes lively. He quirked an amused eyebrow and nodded.

'_Of course,'_ he responded, _'but I don't want to rush you through it all. The Keeper Headquarters are a lot more than one can take in a single day.'_ So saying this, he led her to one particular cluster of computers; the number "5" glowed balefully high atop it. One screen was of especial interest to them.

'_Daia!'_ Catherine cried, clapping in delight as the serious face of the Illusionist appeared upon the screen. _'She looks so odd.'_

'_She's in the usual dress for that dimension, but yes, she does appear odd.'_ He frowned thoughtfully. _'She looks as if she traveled through the Time dimension a little bit.'_

'_There's a Time dimension?'_

Her stupefied reaction made him break into another grin. _'Yes, time travel _is_ possible. I've done it myself twice.'_ He enjoyed her amazement for the twenty seconds it lasted; he had to raise his hands to slow down the following inundation of questions.

Eventually he answered all the questions, including the additional ones Catherine spawned when he showed her how to man one section of the Dimensional Board, the newly reassigned number 17 for a dimension only just recently born. The section was still small, corresponding with the number of universes currently encased in it—perfect for a Keeper that had not run a dimensional cluster before. Catherine seemed a trifle distracted when he took her hands to hold them over the controls, but she paid attention well enough to his instructions.

When they finally emerged from the Basilica Officii, Penelope was just crossing in front of it upon the Road of the World. She whirled around at the sound of their approach, scowled at Kakkhanadori.

'There_ you are, Legendary Lord.'_ She advanced on them; Catherine grinned apologetically. _'How dare you hide from us like that!'_ she scolded, shaking both her striped hair and an orange-and-blue fingernail. _'We really do worry...'_

She ranted on and on. He grew impressed with how long she could sustain her flow of anxious words and not reiterate herself; evidently the Horsewoman had much to say. She wound down, eventually; he was able to placate her with a few well-chosen words of his own.

Since by now it was evening and neither of them had had dinner yet, Catherine offered to try making one of her gourmet meals.

'_I feel like I can do it,'_ she reassured him before he had a chance to respond to their offer. He only smiled at her and said he was looking forward to it.

He had good reason to: As soon as he bit into the beautiful meal the Ki Breaker set before him, he nearly choked in his haste to consume it all. "This is great, Catherine-chan," he accused in instinctive Earthling between bites of the dinner. "You didn't tell me you were this good!"

She was blushing magnificently at his praise, though it be delivered in an unconventional way. "I'm glad you like it," she exclaimed. He noticed that she had barely touched her own plate. She dug into it now when he pointed this out, but her air was one of relief from a strenuous exercise.

Kakkhanadori only smirked.

He had seconds and thirds, enough to fill his stomach due to his decreased appetite, and thanked her again for the delicious repast. The atmosphere between them—after Catherine ceased blushing, that is—grew quiet and contemplative.

Reading Catherine's hesitation, Kakkhanadori inquired, in a tone that suggested nothing other than what he said: "Do you want to stay together tonight?"

Enormous gratitude spread across the Ki Breaker's face. "Yes," she affirmed quietly. She smiled faintly. "I'm beginning to think you know me too well."

"Nothing necessarily wrong with that," he returned, shrugging. "Where do you want to stay, here or at my place?"

"Well, I've never actually seen your house..." the Human both complained and trailed off.

"My place it is, then." He rose from the table. "If you're ready, let's go."

When the Human first laid eyes upon Kakkhanadori's domicile, she stopped dead where she stood. He allowed her to do so, knowing it was important for her to take it in, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

The Human was taking in the sight of a traditional Earthling house placed upon a rising grade between two other houses. The wooden veranda invited them to step up and enter, while the sloping roof offered them protection from rain (useless in the Demon Dimension, since it never rained). The sliding doors in the front of the house were classically Earthling, opaque but transparent at the same time.

"It's like home," Catherine breathed at last, never tearing her eyes away. Kakkhan nodded, though he was sure Catherine didn't see it, and said:

"That's what I built it to be." Still with his hand on her shoulder, he started toward the veranda. "You will, of course, take your shoes off?" His question was a statement.

The Human was already in the process of sliding her sneakers off, comforted in no small degree by the familiarity of the settings in such a strange place for it. He smiled at this, understandingly, and removed his own fighter's slippers. Leading the way inside, he saw it as might a stranger, though his guest's gasp had a ring of delight, not disappointment, to it.

"Oh, I love how you combined both the Demon Dimension and Earth in one space like this!" she exclaimed. Her eyes wandered over the contrast of the high couches with the low Earthling tables and wall decorations, accompanied by the Dimensional architecture of the windows (tall and narrow, but allowing plenty of light within).

Looking at Catherine, Kakkhanadori realized that the Lady Ki Breaker's opinions and thoughts mattered more to him than he had thought. As she ran an admiring hand over the highly polished table, tension flew from him into the air; a warmth replaced it which made him smile without realizing it.

"Want me to give you the tour?" he heard his voice asking. Catherine looked up from gazing at one of the Taoist paintings as if she'd forgotten he was there. She smiled sheepishly before he reiterated his proposition.

"Please!" Clearly the Demon Dimension's resident Human was eager to see the rest of his house. Deciding to tease her, he asked:

"Why do I get the feeling you're not going to be leaving this house for a while?" He smiled wryly at the Human who had ducked her head in embarrassment. "Catherine, I don't mind if you stay here for more than one night." The Saiyan was struck with inspiration. "In fact, why don't you stay for the entire summer? That way neither of us has to suffer being alone."

Kakkhanadori had to chuckle at the wistful glance Catherine sent him. "At least until you see the rest of the house before deciding whether to refuse or not, okay?" he advised. "Not all of it is like the living room."

He showed her the shrine to Fate that lay beyond the living room (which he had to admit was _very_ Earthling in appearance), the kitchen (another combination), and the adjoining bathroom (Demonic). The Hall they entered next was highly Demonic, with two staircases leading upstairs at either hand, but the training room countered that with its largely dojo-like nature.

The guest room on the first floor again combined the two styles, while the conservatory at the back of the house was neither Demonic nor Earthling, but something entirely new. The veranda at the back of the house turned into a patio with a table and a bench, but with room enough to move around on.

On the second floor, he showed her the library, which had tatami mats enclosed by giant bookshelves and low tables for reading. Across from the library in one direction was the laundry room, in the other direction a television room. Next to the television room (stacked with plenty of video games) was Kakkhanadori's office, which was next to the guest room Catherine immediately claimed as hers, which was next to his room and the adjoining bathroom. The last guest room adjoined the bathroom on the other side.

In the middle of the floor was an opening surrounded by protective railings looking down into the giant Hall below; above it was a gigantic skylight shedding light descending from on high onto it all.

The balcony he showed her gave an excellent aerial view of the landscape. It only led to the back of the building outside of the library, but Kakkhanadori claimed that it had been a last minute addition, built so as not to waste the surplus materials that the builders had discovered they had.

Like every other part of the house, however, Catherine loved it.

By the end of the tour, night had settled in, so the pair retreated inside. Kakkhanadori permitted Catherine to choose which room they would occupy until lights out, which was, he warned her, one point five hours away for him. His Keeper duties demanded odd hours from him, requiring him to rise before dawn for a shift that began at sunrise and ended at midday.

They ended up in the living room. Clearly it had become Catherine's favorite room, had been from the very beginning. They settled upon one of the couches together, Kakkhanadori with his Laniin journal, Catherine with a calligraphy kit she had brought back from Earth and happened to have handy.

After ten minutes of companionable silence between the two of them, Catherine sighed.

"It's been a long day," she commented, bending to clean up the calligraphy.

Kakkhanadori looked up. Studying her tired frame and the kanji for calm, serenity, and positive thoughts she had written, he decided to hope Catherine didn't mind if he pried. "You said something earlier about the person you needed protection from finding you," he stated, setting aside his unfinished journal entry. The Human nodded, suddenly wary, nor did she relax when he asked: "Tell me about him?"

Instead, she searched him with her glamour's black eyes. Apparently finding no ill intent in his gaze, she agreed, "Sure," and shifted.

"I'm listening," he informed her. Nevertheless, Kakkhanadori had to wait for her to finish neatening the calligraphy; in the meantime he draped an arm over the back of the couch where she sat. Contact always seemed to help Catherine talk about personal matters; while he wasn't touching her, the action seemed to support his claim of attentiveness.

The beginning announced itself with a deep breath.

"He was my ex-boyfriend." The Human lifted her head to stare him in the eye. "Before I left Earth for here the first time, he threatened me several times for being too much of a coward to— to—"

He had shifted to face her while she was speaking; now while she stuttered he reached out to rub her arm with his free hand. Catherine broke underneath this comforting caress and blurted out the rest of the story in a shaking voice, her eyes raking his endlessly:

"He got me pregnant while we were dating, Kakkhanadori. My father disowned me and he walked out on me. Only he came back after I'd already had the abortion, and...he started threatening me. He was so angry that I hadn't consulted him before 'killing his child'—that was what he said—as if I _could_ consult him after he'd walked out—"

Kakkhanadori drew the Human, whose breath was hitching, into his embrace, nestling her head on his shoulder and smoothing the black hair over and over again while she struggled to control her emotions. Muffled words came to him as she tried to continue the story, words such as "too cowardly to have his baby" and "too disgusting to live." He shushed her automatically, still running his hands over her hair; she gradually quieted.

"Are you finished?" he asked after several seconds. Movement against his neck told him Catherine was nodding. She pushed lightly on his chest, was permitted to rise, breathing deeply, from his arms to an upright position.

"Good. I have a couple questions for you."

She seemed startled, and apprehensive, but nodded anyway.

"Did he initiate the sex that resulted in this pregnancy, or did you?"

Catherine swallowed thickly. Obviously she had not expected this. "He did."

"Did he initiate all of your sex, or just that?"

"All of it."

"Why do you think he threatened you?"

"He told me I was too cowardly to have his baby, but my sister thinks he changed his mind about the baby because he figured he could blackmail my father about it and get the money he needed to pay off his gambling debts. Uno also thinks that he was threatening me so I would agree to get pregnant again, just to stop his constant threats."

The Human broke off, chewing her lip worriedly. "I don't know what to think about that. It's likely to be true, but...I don't know."

"What did he do when he found you?"

She closed her eyes. "He-he didn't recognize me, but he tried to hit on me. I got away, but I didn't feel safe, so I came back."

He nodded. "One last question," he said, much to Catherine's relief. Gazing at her directly in the eye, he deadpanned, "What's his name?"

The Ki Breaker gaped at him for a full five seconds. Then tears formed in her eyes, making her drop her head to try to hide them. "Thank you," she whispered, barely intelligible through the veil of her hair. "Thank you for not turning me away."

"I'm serious." Kakkhanadori touched her hands to draw her attention to him. "What's his name?" he repeated. Catherine shook her head and squeezed his fingers firmly.

"I'm not telling you," she asserted. "You'd just go after him."

"That's the point, Catherine," he informed her. But the Ki Breaker was adamant, stating "I have had more than enough trouble with him already" and leaving it at that.

Kakkhanadori sighed but let the subject drop. It didn't mean he had to forget about it, but in the meantime he could tell Catherine how nice her trust in him felt.

"I'm proud of you," he began, watching with a little smile as surprise colored Catherine's face in conjunction with confusion. "I'm honored that you would tell your story to me, even if I did ask, and glad. I can see it wasn't easy."

"I-I—Thank you," she stammered. Confusion easily overwhelmed surprise now.

Kakkhanadori tilted his head. "You do know it was his fault for impregnating you, right? He should have used protection or waited for a more appropriate time to have that kind of sex," he asserted calmly.

"Too, it was his fault that he abandoned you and left you with no recourse but to either raise the child on your own or abort it. And then he expected to have a say in the child's future when he returned?" The Saiyan shook his head. "I knew some people were stupid, but that's just a total lack of common sense." He shook his head again. "Ridiculous," he muttered.

He noted with astonishment that now Catherine was crying. Her tears flowed over her fingers as she tried unsuccessfully to keep them in. Kakkhanadori would have apologized for making her cry, but she interrupted with, "Thank you, Kakkhanadori." She heaved a deep breath. "Thank you," she said again, the words seeming to be an anchor for her. "You probably know how it feels to have someone accept—" She inhaled again. "Sorry."

"No," Kakkhanadori said, reaching out again. He hadn't known how scared Catherine was of rejection until now; the Human had changed in more ways than one since returning from the Llewellyn Wells. Feeling that he should make up in some way for inadvertently causing Catherine worry, he drew her into his arms again.

"Thank you," he said to her, looking into her inquiring face. "For trusting me. I'm sorry I treated this so carelessly—" He sighed when Catherine made to protest. Silencing her with a finger in front of her mouth, he merely repeated, "Thank you."

It was nice to feel so trusted, Kakkhanadori discovered deep inside of himself. Especially if the person who trusted you so wholly had initially been skittish of your every move for over two months, he thought wryly. Still, he smiled slightly at the sight of Catherine resting comfortably if a little confusedly within his embrace. She could be just so cute sometimes, it made him laugh.

It was not long afterwards that they departed for bed, each simultaneously thinking over the events having just happened.

:-:-:-:

A/n: Well, if that wasn't emotionally charged. Heh!

It seems that with school finally over (nooo, where did freshman year go?!), and work not yet begun, I have time to update at last...though not for lack of trying what with all the packing I had to do. (Glares at boxes and suitcases) I have also been working on a rather weird little piece (at least, _I_ think it's weird, but a certain other person doesn't seem to think so...) that I may or may not update sometime in the near future... Hey, with this story being finished except for the little details, I have to write something...!

Allati: There, there, authoress. Antigone can take the blame if things get to be too much...

Now, now, Allati, I know you don't like Antigone, but that's going too far...

Allati: I don't _not_ like Antigone, but, well...

I know, I know... dear readers, feel free to move on to the sneak preview while I comfort my muse (for once)...

:-:-:-:

SNEAK PREVIEW OF: Synchronization

"Yes," he said, watching her alarm and her embarrassment grow. She stumbled through an apology before realizing that he didn't want that (judging by the amused smile he knew he had on his face), then, finally, asked him what he wanted to say.

:-:-:-:

Thanks to **lpgohanfanatic **and **Lov3the3vil** for reviewing!

Bye!

**TheShadowPanther** and Allati, from **AASN**

**AASN;** Writing is what we do for you at **AASN**. Enjoy.

_Updated 5.13.08_


	14. Chapter Thirteen: Synchronization

**Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper**

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha!

Chapter Thirteen: Synchronization

Though her room had that oppressive silence that commanded her to sleep, she couldn't. Being here in a room that reminded her so strongly of Earth but had equally strong touches of the Demon Dimension—it was as if she was looking at a representation of what her life could be, an amalgamation of two aspects, instead of what it was, an Earthling semi-stranded in the City.

She was not entirely stranded because there was another Earthling here—and thinking of sleeping under the same roof as he—indeed, the same corridor—didn't that make her blush? She had been trying not to think about that for hours already.

Energized all of a sudden, she threw aside the covers and slid out of the bed. Padding quietly to her door, she tiptoed across the hallway, down the stairs and into the living room. She fell onto the nearest couch with a sigh; instantly she felt like falling asleep. Her mind protested; she found herself thinking again about Kakkhanadori, his house, and the fact that she had claimed the room next to his quite unintentionally.

Thoughts of this matter inevitably presented her with the conversation she and the Saiyan (what was a Saiyan, anyway?) had had before bed. The memory of his acceptance again brought tears to her eyes; she instantly clamped down on them, telling them no, they _would_ not fall. She'd done enough crying already. She cringed at how emotional she'd been all over Kakkhanadori, even if he hadn't seemed to mind. Hadn't he said, "Thank you?" for trusting him?

She was grasping at straws. She had been at a weak point last night, that was all there was to it. She was eternally grateful to Kakkhanadori for being there for her, but she had to be stronger. She _needed_ to be stronger. She vowed to herself that she would not cry on Kakkhanadori or anyone again, but instead would try to care for them, to return the efforts they had put into her so faithfully. For too long had she depended on everyone else; it was now time someone depended on her.

She drifted to sleep finally with this thought overriding in her mind, lulled at last to a sense of peace with this determination.

:-:-:-:

Catherine didn't say anything out of the ordinary to him in the next morning, but he had a feeling, a not-quite sense of Foreknowledge that something was different about her. She stood straighter, held her head higher, and seemed much more relaxed. He found himself enjoying this subtle change in her, even as much as it made him wonder—and he had plenty of time to wonder, for the Human made good on his offer of occupying his house for the entire summer after all.

The beginning of the week after that first night was the most complicated, with he scaring the living daylights out of Catherine by his state of shirtless undress, and the latter inadvertently paying the former back in full when she hurried out of his bathroom with only a towel on the next day. It was the middle of the week when they worked out a specific schedule, not only for bathroom and bed times, but also meal times, TV room times, and office, alone, and together times.

For instance, Kakkhanadori refused to be disturbed any time he was in his training room, but other than that he generally was available except when explicitly stated otherwise. Catherine turned out to have an earlier bedtime that he did because of the summer courses at the Schools she'd registered for. He promised not to disturb her with his activities (his office was next door to her room) and to go to bed at a reasonable time (which Catherine insisted upon). They agreed that they would wait for each other at the HTC for lunch.

By the end of that week, they had settled somewhat into the routine of living together. Though it was not entirely usual for two members of opposing genders to live together and not exist in a relationship, the Demon Dimension did not object to the living arrangements at all; indeed, it seemed instead to ignore them. He knew better, but it was such that he did not actually care if they were frowned upon or not.

One night into the new routine, however, he had gone to bed shortly after Catherine did, on account of an inexplicable exhaustion resulting from more than an extremely frustrating day at work. He'd fallen into bed with a vague sense of dread, a self-premonition trying to warn him...

He'd barely braced himself_ before the nightmares attacked. Tumbling images of battle, blood, and slaughtered bystanders, Fay, Druid, and Human, struck through him, as his own sword had in many of these scenes. In fact, he glimpsed many flashes of that very weapon, though he never saw it actually perform its necessarily ugly work, only what it left behind. After many of these scenes occurred he was not surprised, only vindicated, when, as another flash of metal turned his head, he perceived himself. _

_If the sight of himself now was what others saw him as in battle, then it was little wonder he'd earned his reputation of soullessness. No emotion flickered in the eye sockets shrouded by the black hair of the stone-still warrior facing him. The coat the other wore remained absolutely still even when the other himself moved, slowly, to reveal his katana. _

"_Murderer," the warrior called him. His voice contained no feeling, but the word stabbed into him forcefully, almost causing him to step back. His feet did separate when the swordsman next named him as a weakling. _

"_Unworthy," he said next, "of any kindness by others. The Human in particular." _

_Here, hearing that, he drew the line. He _was_ a murderer, and he _was_ weak, but the Human was not to be brought into this. This was between him and the warrior within. _

_Stepping into stance, he drew a breath. Saying nothing, his persona copied him, his face as blank as ever while his sword disappeared into its scabbard. _

_In three swipes of his Spirit Blade, he had thoroughly decapitated the other version of himself. He looked dully at the gutted corpse with his face upon it, and thought: This is how I am going to die. It was so clear to him in that moment he had no choice but to accept it as fact, though his mind and heart would have liked to think otherwise. _

_He bowed his head. If he was so unable to accept his fate as thus, he truly was unworthy. _

"_Why would you be unworthy?" someone asked him. Cool fingers brushed his bangs aside to lay themselves on his forehead. Ki flew from him into these fingers; he permitted this only because he thought it was punishment. He realized that his negative energy was lessening too late; she was withdrawing already at this epiphany. _

"_Don't lose faith in yourself, Kakkhanadori," the person told him. "You're the strongest person I know, but there does come a point where being strong is too much. You have to let yourself just _be_ sometimes. Take it from me; I know." She touched his hair again, but he didn't respond. She sighed. _

"_Kakkhanadori, I hope you will let me be here for you when you need me. I told myself I would grow stronger so that I could repay you your kindnesses, but being strong isn't just part of that. I need to accept myself, my strengths and weaknesses, and do the best with them that I can in order to live usefully in my world." She leaned in close; he had to shut his eyes to avoid seeing her face. _

"_None of us can do that alone." _

_Her lips touched his forehead; then she retreated, leaving behind the scent of the meadow, and disappeared from his dream. _

_With her disappearance, calm finally washed into him. The dead warrior at his feet, who had been staring at him with his eye sockets, turned his head. He rose slowly to his feet and began walking away, his form blurring the more he walked. His surroundings became lighter, both in atmosphere and in color. _

_His light core was destined to be ignored once again, however, even if he _did_ allow it to briefly, _very_ briefly, shroud him lovingly for a time. _

:-:-:-:

Catherine seemed pleasantly surprised to see him the next morning, sitting calmly at the table while pans on the stove were gently heated. Upon her appearance, he folded away the reports he'd been reading and bid her good morning.

"Good morning," she replied, eyeing him unabashedly. He smiled slightly at her curiosity, but refused to say anything more.

It wasn't as if Catherine needed any prompting. "Isn't your leaving time supposed to be dawn?"

He nodded. "I decided to stay a while today."

She seemed dubious. "Will they—Lady Fate, excuse me—allow this?"

"Yes," he said simply. "As long as I travel through Time to make up for what I've lost and don't do it too many times."

"Then—pardon my rudeness—what's the occasion?"

He chuckled at her impatience. "I just wanted to tell you something."

She blinked at him. "What? Is this about last night?"

"Yes," he said, watching her alarm and her embarrassment grow. She stumbled through an apology before realizing that he didn't want that (judging by the amused smile he knew he had on his face), then, finally, asked him what he wanted to say.

Looking directly into her face, he pronounced, clearly and certainly, "Thank you."

Obviously gratitude had not been what Catherine had been expecting; she gaped as a fish does. Gradually she blushed again, but not from embarrassment.

"You're welcome," she answered. They smiled at one another in silence, then, anticipating awkwardness, he inquired:

"Want pancakes for breakfast?" He gestured to the pans on the stove.

Catherine was bright enough to know what the pancakes really were: A more tactile way of saying thank you. So she smiled gratefully at him for changing the subject and yet not, and agreed to pancakes for breakfast.

He ended up having to take Catherine through Time with him in order for her to be on time to her classes.

:-:-:-:

Kakkhanadori was stricken by nightmares several more times over the next few weeks. Each time, she was on hand for him, but each time it grew progressively more difficult to leave him. In sleep he looked relaxed like no other time of the day. She'd heard that people looked like babies when they slept, but if that were true, then Kakkhanadori bucked the system as much as always.

Every time she felt him relax after draining his negative energy (and giving it back to the Dimension, which could always use more ki no matter how it was classified), she felt like she could safeguard him from the dangers he faced—which of course she couldn't. Still, it was how she felt; she couldn't change that even if she had wanted to.

Still, it wasn't like the perception that she could actually keep Kakkhanadori safe was the only thing that kept her at his bedside. She felt more in tune with him at this time than any other time; this, more than anything else, soothed her enough to fall asleep again once she returned to her room.

One nightmare, however, was particularly stubborn and took more than ten minutes to calm Kakkhanadori down. When he did, she was startled all at once by the shape of his face, how his eyes and eyebrows seemingly flowed into his nose, which in turned spilled out into a delta around his mouth, the mouth that was an islet near the hill of his chin. She stared, fascinated, at his mouth and the lines of it; she barely noticed how close she'd come near it until she had touched it with her own.

Even then, it didn't occur to her immediately what she was doing, what she had done. Her eyes flew open when the thought formed; she drew back with a jerk and clapped her hands over her mouth. Kakkhanadori mumbled something indecipherable, but, as she glanced at him, he only shifted a little and fell back into sleep. Gigantically relieved, she hurriedly slipped from the room and raced downstairs.

"What have I done?" she asked herself in horror. "Oh, Gods, I hope he doesn't find out!"

In her panic, she was unable to sleep for some time. As a result, Kakkhanadori found her asleep on the living room couch, apparently shivering from the morning cold because she had not thought to bring a blanket with her. She watched him anxiously for any sign that he knew what she had done, but it seemed luck was on her side this once. She told herself never to do that ever again, ever, and even pleaded to Lady Fate in Kakkhanadori's shrine to help her.

In the meanwhile, she and Kakkhanadori went out often to various places like Los Sueños Dorados, Life's Games, even Niger et Candidus, the Vampire bar, on a memorable night. Once they visited the restaurant where the quintet had celebrated her homecoming. She'd thought then that it felt like a date, at the restaurant (they were celebrating her birthday), but she'd summarily dismissed it as wishful thinking.

Still, sometimes she caught Kakkhanadori staring at her, his dark gaze steady if also inexplicable. She told herself not to worry about it (after it, it was Kakkhanadori), but inside she couldn't help but wonder if he knew about the fading vestiges of her anxiety.

If so, he didn't mention it.

:-:-:-:

She smiled at the panic of the Lady Ki Breaker. Humans were sometimes so amusing in their behavior towards others. Unfortunately, She couldn't just sit and study the behavioral psychology of Her City Residents...

She had more nightmares to organize.

:-:-:-:

_Carrying the precious pendant through the dimensional portal, he Knew that this would be the last he would ever see of it. The crystal winked at him then, as if sensing his thoughts and attempting to reassure them, but it failed. This would also be the last in a long time that he would come to this dimension, he sensed, which meant that he would only be able to monitor the effects of the pendant's appearance in this world when he re-entered it, whenever that time may be. _

_That, and what the crystal both contained and symbolized, made him reluctant to part with the pendant. He reminded himself that the time had come to part with it, that, really, he should have given it away long ago. It had been selfish of him to hoard it all these years, when there were obviously other uses for it than for his own comfort. _

_Even knowing all of this, even when he had reached his destination, he still hesitated. It was not until he looked up into the sky that his ache eased a little. _

"_Sir?" _

_The timid voice belonged to the child whom the crystal was bound for. He turned away from the winking heavens onto the brown-eyed brown-haired boy standing a ways from him, carrying a long wrapped package and looking frightened. _

"_Yes?" he answered gently, making no move to hide Tapheth's sword at his side. The child swallowed, but, impressively, remained brave. _

"_A-are you lost? May I direct you somewhere?" _

_He studied the other indifferently. "As a matter of fact, I am lost," he said. "Could you show me to the western end of this forest?" _

_The brown eyes grew even wider. "Y-yes, sir." He trembled. "Right this way, sir." _

_The boy led him off of the trail to his right, up the hill of leaves to another trail, one definitively less traveled. They turned left onto this, in the direction he had been traveling, then curved to his right and ended in a cliff face. Brown Eyes showed him a small niche he could just fit into, told him "after you come out of the cave, turn left. You'll be in the west woods." _

"_Thank you," he said gravely. He reached out the hand that held his crystal. "As payment, please accept this." The pendant winked at him a final time. "I suggest you hold onto this for as long as you can. Nothing will happen to you if you lose it, but your actions will not necessarily have the same effect upon the rest of the world." _

_As Brown Eyes stared at him fearfully, he climbed into the niche. Sure enough, when he emerged from the cave, on his left were the dreaded western woods. These would hide his trail. _

_He would visit his brother's grave when he returned home._

:-:-:-:

'_Kakkhanadori?' _she called out into the empty air of the called person's house. She did not receive an answer, but InuYasha's form flowed into the living room behind her.

'_He is not here, Lady,'_ It barked to her while she laid her materials down in the corner. _'He is in the Prennan Cemetery.' _

'_The Cemetery?'_ She looked at Inu quizzically.

'_Yes.'_ The inu padded closer. _'Would ya like me to take you to him?' _

'_Would he mind?'_ Kakkhanadori's privacy always counted before her curiosity.

'_Very likely he would not,'_ Inu said, red eyes whirling. It paused. _'If it was you.' _

'_What?'_

Inu refused to answer. Instead It nudged at her knees, moving her backwards out of the house. _'Inu!'_ she cried, but It continued to herd her out of Gaits Lanaid. As she always did whenever she entered or exited the Dimension Keeper cul-de-sac, she had to marvel at how different the view of the City from Tenna's apartment and from Gaits Lanaid were. One provided a view of the City at all times, available whenever you wanted. The other was just like opening a door onto a fantasy land, beloved but ever-changing all the while. She always seemed to find different sights of the City whenever she passed out of the wrought iron arch of the entryway—

The City blurred. _Well, that's new,_ she thought, blinking. She had never City-zoomed without Kakkhanadori before—

As if his name was a password, the City blurred even faster. She began to grow dizzy; Inu leaned against her waist to hold her up. To help, she closed her eyes until she felt the dizziness and the internal pull fade.

'_Open your eyes, Lady,'_ Inu grumped. _'I can't very well lead you if you can't see me or where you're going.' _

'_You could, if I were blind and knew what I was hearing,'_ she teased. Inu scowled.

'_No one respects me,'_ It muttered in a tortured voice. _'I knew it.'_ It growled at her before she could respond: _'Let's go, Lady.' _

The dog akuma led her into an array of trees, which she abruptly realized as the same as those next to Demonic Parks. She had no time to voice this thought, for Inu set a fast pace, and, when they had reached their destination, her eyes became engaged in something else other than the familiarity of her environment.

Beyond a wooden gate—ancient and worm-infested—stood Kakkhanadori, his back to them and his head bent. His customary coat fluttered slightly as she stared at him—

He turned.

:-:-:-:

A/n: Ahh! No, Kakkhanadori, don't turn! Don't turn, you dummy, don't TURN!

Allati: (Looks at SP weirdly) What are you going on about, authoress?

Why, the cliffy, of course! What is Kakkhan going to do, now that Catherine has been revealed? The suspense is sure to kill the readers!

Allati: If you say so...

That is, if they don't kill me first.

Allati: That's better...

I offer the sneak preview as a peace offering! Of course, it means nothing to you whatsoever, so it's useless, but it's the thought that counts, right?!

Allati: Not really...! (Shouts after running Panther in panther form)

:-:-:-:

SNEAK PREVIEW OF: Confessions

Observing that Catherine's door was ajar, he softly knocked. When he received no answer, he slid the door open further, stepped in, and lightly touched Catherine's shoulder.

:-:-:-:

Thanks to **lpgohanfanatic** and **Lov3the3vil** for reviewing!

Bye,

**TheShadowPanther** and Allati, from **AASN**

**AASN;** Writing is what we do for you at **AASN**. Enjoy.

_Updated 5.21.08  
_(I'm going to be a year older tomorrow! Aieeeee!)


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Confessions

**Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper **

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha!

Chapter Fourteen: Confessions

'_I should have known you would bring her here, Inu,'_ the Saiyan remarked, his voice dry. She let out her breath, which she'd been holding, and started to step away.

'_I'm sorry I bothered you,'_ she said over her shoulder. _'I'll just be going—'_

'_What for?' _

The query stopped her in her tracks. _'Don't you want me gone?' _

'_Did I say that?' _

'_You told Inu—'_

'_That was Inu.'_ He motioned to the gate. _'She may enter if she wishes.' _

A sudden tension drained out of her; the portal swung open with a semi-surprising absence of noise. Of course; nothing in the Demon Dimension was necessarily what it appeared.

Accepting the offer, she nevertheless had to query: _'Why are you letting me in when I'm just intruding upon a place and a moment that is sacred to you?' _

His reply was a cryptic _'You've never met my brother, have you?' _

She blinked, and understandably so. _'You have a brother?'_ she blurted out before thinking.

Kakkhanadori corrected, before embarrassment could set in: _'Had.'_ He gestured to the monument in front of them. _'His name was Menrui. Menrui, Prince of Puzzles.' _

Her eyes traveled over the characters on the grave marker. _'Menrui?'_ she asked, her voice quiet.

'_Yes.'_ He looked it over himself, wondering how she perceived it, knowing nothing about Menrui except that he was his brother. _'My soul-twin.' _

Her head snapped up. _'Your soul-twin?'_ she asked, the phrase meaning much more to her now with Foreknowledge than almost a year ago. _'Brothers in everything but blood?' _

His eyes flickered. _'Yes,'_ he said, sounding obscurely pleased. _'You understand?' _

She nodded. Such bonds, when broken, were nearly impossible to recover from. _'My sister and I are really close, or we were when I left,'_ she corrected. _'I'd be completely lost without her today.' _She had to look away.

Kakkhanadori nodded. _'I know what you mean. Menrui's death did not do me any favors.' _

She touched his arm. _'I'm sorry,'_ she offered, knowing the platitude was not enough, ever, but trying to reach him anyway. Kakkhanadori looked at her, inclined his head.

'_Thanks.'_ That was all he said, but she understood. No more words were needed.

:-:-:-:

"And he would always, always, always blush whenever I teased him about Nanao-chan. It wasn't just any ordinary blush, either, but a really bright red, almost like—"

"A tomato?" Catherine supplied, laughing, as he struggled to find the proper word in his own mirth. He shook his head at her offering.

"No, more like that red batisna vegetable that Tenna likes, have you seen it—?"

"That bright?" Catherine gasped, her mouth hanging open at his description. He nodded, bursting into fresh bouts of laughter. Catherine, after a few seconds of shock, joined him.

When their guffaws had quieted into an occasional chuckle, the silence between them was comfortable.

Catherine would soon break it.

"When I was little, my sister and I used to go to the weekly festival in our hometown. There was this one show that I always wanted to go to, called the—oh, it's on the tip of my tongue—no, it's gone. Anyway, it involved the adventures of a little monkey in a world different than where it was born. My sister hated it, though, so sometimes I would make her come with me just to laugh at the faces she made throughout the show. Some of the faces were so funny—"

Her smile faded in the midst of its formation. "And others were not," she finished quietly. He gazed at her drawn face, decided to say nothing about it, but change the subject slightly instead.

"I needed this," he told her, directing her eyes up to him. "I haven't talked to anyone about my brother Menrui like this since before he died. It's a load off." He stood. Í have to do some reports about my missions today. Thanks for the break."

So saying this to Catherine, he copped a short bow and exited the room.

The adrenaline that had kept him steady through his memories of Menrui vanished on the stairs. Sagging momentarily, he blew out a breath and tilted his head upwards. It had almost been harder than he could handle to follow up on the decision to let Catherine know about his adopted twin. He did not know why he'd made the decision; it had seemed appropriate at the time. He also did not know if he regretted it or not. He would know when the time came.

Slowly, as if he was pained, he moved up the stairs. He took care to avoid the particular creaks and groans of the floor which would alert Catherine to the fact that he had lingered on the stairs overlong, if she didn't already from his ki signature. That brought the assumption about that she knew how to read ki...

He was too tired to think about that. Besides, he really _did _have reports to write.

:-:-:-:

Dinner had been made but Kakkhanadori hadn't arrived with it. She worried, for the Dimension Keeper's less than smooth departure had had her rattled. This unusual absence did not help matters.

She, after putting the food into appropriate containers, then ascended the stairs and padded to Kakkhanadori's office. To her surprise, he was not there, although his computer console was on. The TV room did not present her with her friend's form either, and the library would not hold him at all, she knew. So she retreated to the Saiyan's room, to which the door was closed, and hesitated. She wasn't sure if she was allowed to do this...

The door opened silently. Her eyes perceived finally the image of the person she sought, leaning against the headboard with papers in his hands and his eyes closed. The soft fluctuations of his aura, in conjunction with his steady breathing, told her he was asleep, not just faking it. She drew closer to him anyway—

How the expression of peace on his face startled her caused also the realization of how he had hidden his pain while recounting his brother's escapades so effectively from her. Her heart aching, she drew her fingers incautiously over his brow; it was altogether unexpected when Kakkhanadori sighed and seemed to relax even further. Her body leaned forward—

She didn't know how she did it this time. Somehow, in the middle of dropping a kiss on Kakkhanadori's forehead, she instead found his mouth. She was about to withdraw, reproving herself, when Kakkhanadori suddenly shifted—

Electricity sizzled in her. She leapt back literally a meter, her eyes wide and unheeding of the objects she could potentially trip over. Kakkhanadori, for his part, let his head (had he really kissed her back just now?) droop onto his shoulder. She realized then with beating heart that for all intents and purposes he was still asleep, and perhaps even dreaming. Quickly turning, she hurried out of his room and down the stairs, crying to herself, _Oh Gods! _

This was not supposed to have happened. How had it happened? She'd sworn to herself that this would not happen; if Kakkhanadori or anybody else got wind of this—

No. That would not happen. She would not allow it. She had blundered twice, but the third time was the charm, wasn't it? She _would_ overcome this; this was not a weakness she was willing to accept.

:-:-:-:

Unfortunately, her resolve was not able to hold. She would return the next night, pathetically (in her opinion) craving the same sizzle of the last kiss that she'd shared with Kakkhanadori for a brief dazzling moment before she'd jumped and fled. Nevertheless, as she bent over his bed, a sense of falling over a cliff that she had clung assiduously to before inundated her. Shoving the thought away, she carefully framed Kakkhanadori's face with two hands and swooped.

The electricity spazzed into her again. This time it quickly overtook her brain, rushed into her bloodstream, and fired up her nerve endings so that she couldn't think anymore, only act. She had to break away now, however, due to lack of air—

With oxygen's return came also her reasoning facilities in all their capacity. For the third time she fled the scene of her sins with a sinking heart. Not only was her dread concerned with Kakkhanadori finding out, but also about her inability to restrain herself when it came to her needs, yes, needs. She had passed the point of no return now; the feeling that her latest mistake would doom her to forever seek the heart-poundingly electric sense of connection she found in kissing him—her heart found a way into her stomach.

There was absolutely no doubt to be had, she knew, that Kakkhanadori would not return her feelings. Lady Fate would not allow the Saiyan to be involved with someone so unsuited to him.

:-:-:-:

When he rose the next morning, he was concerned to see that Catherine wasn't up with him. She had made the decision a week ago to wake up at the same time as he did so as to see him off to work. Since his departure time was two hours before she had to prepare for School, she often went back to sleep after he left. This often raised the redundancy of her actions, but it could not refute the principle of them.

Observing that Catherine's door was ajar, he softly knocked. When he received no answer, he slid the door open further, stepped in, and lightly touched Catherine's shoulder.

She didn't move. A check of her ki signature revealed no traces of any negative ki, so he had not had a nightmare last night. He reasoned then that Catherine must have been more tired than usual last night, and was sleeping heavily as a result of that. He wasn't happy with this conclusion, as he felt sure that there was something there he wasn't seeing, but it was enough of a rationalization to enable him to step away and leave her there, asleep.

:-:-:-:

It had been all she could do to contain herself when Kakkhanadori had touched her shoulder. She had thought (thought was too weak of a word. _Wanted_ was more appropriate) of burying her face in the crook of his neck and admitting to taking advantage of him in his sleep the miraculous number of three times, but the fear of his reaction effectively pinned her to her bed. She had instead pretended to be asleep (and internally groaned when the Saiyan still paused). She could tell that he had not been entirely convinced she had been asleep, but he had exited out the door of his own free will.

She had to get out of here.

Maneuvering herself out of the bed, she moved throughout the house, methodically gathering all of her material possessions. She paused momentarily in her packing when her alarm to get ready for the School buzzed, but disregarded it. Within the hour, she was set; she only needed to write a message for Kakkhanadori telling him where she'd gone.

The note turned about to be harder to write than she'd thought, for she instinctively wanted to explain why she was leaving. Instead of the five minutes she'd envisioned, fifteen minutes had passed and still the note was not satisfactory. To her horror, tears invaded her eyes.

"Don't cry."

She jerked at the voice, sitting bolt upright. A black-garbed forearm crossed her line of vision and picked up the few lines she had written so far. She bowed her head as she heard the paper crinkling, knowing he was absorbing the message even if his breathing did not change.

"You kissed me in my sleep?" His tone had an undercurrent of curiosity to it, as if he really wanted to know what she'd done. The only thing she could do to respond was nod miserably.

"How many times?"

That's right; she hadn't put the number down. Her choked voice muttered, "Three."

"I only remember two."

Startled, Catherine glanced up. "You remember...?"

"Vaguely." His face, when he lowered the piece of paper, was thoughtful. "I thought they were dreams." He met her gaze with warmth. "I'm glad they weren't."

"What?"

He didn't answer. Instead he bent to replace the note; his movement brought him closer to Catherine than he'd ever been. Glancing at her, he discovered her eyes held true confusion.

"Was I the reason for your tears, Catherine-chan?" he inquired, absently raising a hand to thumb the liquid tracks away. She breathed in sharply; he halted.

"You're uncomfortable. I'm sorry for crowding you." The only reason he didn't move away was because Catherine tugged on the hem of his shirt with both hands.

"Are you telling me what I think you are?" she inquired. Her eyes sought to penetrate his; he withstood her gaze piercing into his soul patiently.

"If you're thinking that I'm attracted you, then yes," he told her. Gently detaching her hands from his shirt, he pulled her out of her seat; his thumbs traced patterns on the backs of her hands. "You apparently have the same feelings I do."

"You're attracted to me?" It was apparent she did not quite believe him, however much she most definitely wanted to.

"Yes," he assured her. His eyebrow quirked. "Want me to prove it to you?"

"Prove?" She didn't want to seem too eager, he suspected, but she _did_ want to believe...

He leaned towards her. "Like this," he declared, and kissed her. She relaxed against him after a moment of shock, allowing him to embrace her around the waist and draw her closer to him.

"Kakkhanadori," Catherine said when he broke the kiss. "There's something I have to tell you, about myself, before we go any further. I—"

"Say you're attracted to me," he interrupted softly, still holding her. He added "Please" when Catherine hesitated.

"I am," she relented, linking her arms around his neck. "Very much."

He smiled faintly. "Thank you." He felt like kissing her again, to feel the bond between them come to life, but she clearly wanted to warn him about something. "What did you want to tell me?" he asked, to prompt the Human into saying.

Her expression grew truly anxious. She removed her arms from his neck but did not move from the circle of his embrace. "Remember when I was telling you about how my sister and I are close?"

He nodded.

"We only started being close the day I turned fifteen." She drew a deep breath, "That day, I...was raped."

She swallowed and looked away, or tried to; he brought her gaze round again with a finger under her chin. "That was when my ki breaking abilities awoke, too, and—all I wanted was for him to stop. I didn't mean to drain _all_ of his energy—"

"That's why you were having so much trouble with your ability," he commented. "I wondered."

"I tried to tell you, that day at the Demonic Parks," Catherine rambled, "but then Tenna stepped in, and she didn't understand—"

She stopped and closed her eyes, breathing in slowly. "I won't blame you if you decide to push me away; my father certainly did, and he forbade me from ever seeing Noboru—my half-brother—again. I don't know what Noboru thinks about me now, since he liked me before, but..." Her shoulders slumped.

He gently caressed her cheek. "I'm glad you told me this," he said. "I understand things a bit better now." A secretive smile gradually formed. "I'm afraid, however, that being with you now far outweighs learning about your troubled past. You're stuck with me, Catherine."

He kissed her again, this time for far longer. Catherine much more willingly returned the kiss; as a result they both breathed heavily when they parted.

"My real name is Gikuko," she told him, watching him carefully. Her expression brightened at long last when he only looked at her, stunned, for the level of trust she must have in him. He could only murmur "Thank you" as she initiated their next kiss, in addition to "I'm sorry I can't return the favor—"

She silenced him with a finger on his mouth, her eyes bright with tears. Relaxing, he allowed her to put her head in the joint of his neck and shoulder, knowing the head's owner was content, truly content, for the first time in a long time.

:-:-:-:

If he and Catherine had been spending much of their time together before, they were the very definition of inseparable now. They did not indicate so overtly their newfound relationship to the public world, but their growing bond was clear into their intimate comfort with each other. Full of little touches, close proximity when sitting, and casual gestures such as the occasional hand on the shoulder or back, the two titled Earthlings' relationship was a relief to those who had been expecting them to be together long before now.

The last weeks before the rest of the quintet's return fairly flew by. The Foreknowledge of their return was almost a shock to them; they knew the news heralded the return of their days to their regular routine, for better or for worse, and that they were no longer exclusively alone.

Catherine (or Gikuko, as she was beginning to think of herself as now) packed up again, with as many mixed feelings as she'd had when Kakkhanadori had stopped her from moving out. Sensing this, the Saiyan himself laid down the bundle of clothes he was holding and stepped over to her.

"When do you want to tell them?" he asked from behind, placing both of his hands on her shoulders and gently kissing her temple, as was his custom way of reassurance now. She leaned into him absently, brushing her black hair out of her face as she turned to face him.

"I'd like to tell them as soon as possible," she answered, catching his second quick kiss. "But I'd also like to wait a little bit and see potentially how they'd react, you know, gauge it beforehand."

"It is a good idea to let them settle in before we spring the news upon them," he agreed. "Let's not wait too long, though." She nodded.

The three missing members of the five returned with an _oomph_ to the Demon Dimension and to Kakkhanadori's house. The Earthlings scurried to and from preparing for their arrival; it was with a ball of multi-faceted emotions that Catherine opened the door to Ilowe.

'_Catherine!' _ he screeched upon seeing her. The Nightmare pounced upon her in the next moment, sending them both to the floor, while Hodaia appeared out of nowhere to step around them. Kakkhanadori's dry tones interjected, before Ilowe could maul his girlfriend any more, _'Oh, Gods, I'd forgotten how much Ilowe's hyperactivity annoys me.'_

Ilowe's only answer was a wide grin and another pounce.

Tenna hurried in with Anton on her heels while Catherine greeted Hodaia and Kakkhanadori fended off Ilowe's hug attacks. The other two girls immediately fell upon her; Anton was in the meantime made quickly to feel at home by Kakkhanadori and Ilowe. Tenna emerged from the gaggle of girls long enough to give him and Ilowe a hug and a friendly kiss (which Catherine mockingly narrowed her eyes at, he was amused to see), then disappeared again, this time into the kitchen.

Choosing the better part of valor, the three males remained within the living room and discussed, very calmly, the state of public affairs within the Demon Dimension, namely the lack of communicational avenues between one neighborhood and another other than Foreknowledge.

The group had already been reunited for two hours when Catherine decided to bring out the dinner-slash-feast she had wrought for this day. He rose to help her, knowing Tenna was watching them both closely, and escaped into the kitchen with her.

"You and I," Catherine stated as she loaded his arms full of delicious-smelling dishes, "need to talk."

He only smirked at her. "Yes, we do," he answered, "but it's likely that they've already guessed."

Catherine only glanced brightly at him, neither denying nor agreeing to his remark. Shaking his head amusedly, he used his back to slide open the door and disappeared again into the living room. Catherine came out again not long afterwards with her own burden, but they did not have time to communicate with one another while they served everyone with the food. The expected murmurs of delight did not fail to bring color to Catherine's face, or a pleased tilt to his.

'_I told you they would think that way,'_ he reminded her, quirking an eyebrow at her pointedly. Catherine glared at him, but he remained undaunted.

'_Wait, what?'_ Tenna asked, confusion stamped on her features. He sighed dramatically before explaining that Catherine had been in a high state of nerves about her cooking, which was as good as ever, he added. Catherine ignored his meaningful look with a sniff, then laughed when Tenna imitated a fish in her surprise.

'_Since when have you two been comfortable enough to tease each other?'_ Ilowe demanded, looking between the two of them. _'Did you become siblings or something while we were gone?' _

'_No,'_ Kakkhanadori replied airily. _'We just lived together for the entire summer, that's all.' _

They, except Anton, blinked. _'How did that not come up in our conversation before?!'_ Ilowe wondered.

'_You all were talking about what you had done for the past hour or so,'_ Catherine (he liked thinking of her as Gikuko better, but he didn't want to accidentally slip) put in, her face alight with mischief.

'_So?'_ Realizing too late that he was being teased, Ilowe pouted while Catherine laughed. Tenna only rolled her eyes at him, settling herself more comfortably upon Anton, while Hodaia leaned forward.

The Illusionist spoke in her light voice for the first time since Tenna had arrived. _'That is not the only change that has happened,'_ she announced, her colorless eyes addressing them steadily. _'What is it you are not telling us?' _

'_Trust Daia to notice,'_ Kakkhanadori commented, smirking. He and Catherine shared a look. _'Go on,'_ he said in Demonic, deliberately forcing her to break the news or suffer. Catherine showed him her tongue, but the damage was done.

Shifting in her seat, his girlfriend began smiling slyly. _'Anton, you'll know this,'_ she said, glancing at the demi-Griffin already grinning, _'so don't give it away please.'_ She smirked at Tenna's frustrated expression. _'Last month,'_ she started dramatically, _'Kakkhanadori and I…_' She paused again, wriggling her eyebrows. _'We got together. We're dating now.' _

'_What?!'_ It wasn't just Tenna who voiced the exclamation as a shriek. Hodaia was the only one who joined Anton in smirking (well, as close to it as she ever got) while Tenna launched herself at Catherine.

'_Hey!'_ Kakkhanadori interjected, moving to wrestle Tenna off of Catherine. _'Don't kill my girlfriend.'_

The stunned reaction he'd been aiming for occurred. Hiding his amusement, he gently pushed the Drake back to Anton. Silence persisted for a few awkward moments before Ilowe spoke up.

'_I was thinking this might have been a joke the two of you thought up, but if Kakkhanadori is using "girlfriend" so casually...' _

He rolled his eyes. This had the effect of causing Ilowe to grin and relax; apparently he had been testing them further. The only additional comment he had for the both of them was a snarky _'Finally'_, thought the Nightmare's expression belied satisfaction when, freed of their pretense, Kakkhanadori and Catherine shifted closer together.

'_Aw,'_ Tenna cooed at them. Catherine flapped a hand at her, complementing Kakkhanadori's own dark look. The Drake only grinned and snuggled closer to Anton, who rolled _his_ eyes good-naturedly.

It would take some time for the quintet to adjust, he thought, observing the looks every so often directed at him and Catherine. It would take _them_ some time to adjust to the group's presence, but after three months (or nearly that) to themselves, that was a given.

:-:-:-:

A/n: (Squee)

Allati: (Squee)

And that's all we've got to say about this, folks!

:-:-:-:

SNEAK PREVIEW OF: Premonitions

_He soon forgot the echoes of memory when he wandered around the slipping form of some administrative edification that no longer served its purpose. The sight he beheld, in fact, stopped him in his tracks. _

"_Giku," he uttered, the only sound in the completely destroyed scenery. The form of the purple-haired woman stirred, then stilled. _

:-:-:-:

Thanks to **lpgohanfanatic **and** Lov3the3vil** for reviewing!

Bye!

TheShadowPanther and Allati, from **AASN**

**AASN;** Writing is what we do for you at **AASN**. Enjoy.

_Updated 06.02.08  
_


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Premonitions

**Kakkhan: Immortal Saiyan Z-fighter**

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha!

Chapter Fifteen: Premonitions

It was regrettable, Ilowe thought, that such perfectly compatible people such as the Legendary Lord and the Lady Ki Breaker should still find some obstacle that they could not compromise upon. The Nightmare knew not what it was that set the two to ignoring each other so, nor did he care to. He only wished that the obstacle would kindly remove itself already.

It had been a bare two weeks after their return from their respective travels. The relationship between two of his best friends (two of his only friends, at that) had been wonderful to see, and in especial its effects upon the two. Ilowe could not remember when the Legendary had been so open; the potential for gregariousness he'd seen in Catherine upon meeting her was slowly being fulfilled. Then one day had come in which Kakkhanadori had regained his stone-face, and Catherine had produced one of her own.

As Kakkhanadori dropped down next to him one of the daises in Hodaia's quarters (a place they rarely visited due to Hodaia's near-perpetual wish for peace and quiet), he completely avoided any motion that might turn his head the Lady Ki Breaker's way. Ilowe shuffled aside a little to make room for the Legendary in silence, unwilling to break the fog-like tension hovering about. He wished Tenna would do that already, but the Drake, for whatever reason, stubbornly stayed silent, and, worse, seemed sympathetic to Catherine. He hated it, sometimes, when women did that. It usually made things so much more uncomfortable for himself.

The Nightmare was grateful for the arrival of Hodaia, which inevitably broke the silence (if not the tension). _'Ready to go?'_ Tenna asked, rising from her seat. The Illusionist nodded. Relieved that they could leave now for the tournament at Life's Games, Ilowe sprang up from his seat.

'_Let's go, then!'_ he urged, flapping his hands at the other occupants of Hodaia's humble (?) abode. His voice echoed in the Illusionist's grand foyer of sorts (and she called this _modest_? _**Dang**__._); his smile threatened to join it at the collective glare he received.

Tenna sighed. _'Ilowe's right. We've lingered long enough.'_ She made for the door. Catherine followed, but ran into trouble when Kakkhanadori did the same.

The Nightmare feared that another explosion the same as the original (or so Tenna reported it to be) was about to occur. The tension built thickly at an alarming rate, but—he breathed another sigh of relief—Kakkhanadori slashed this when he copped a sarcastic bow.

The situation did not improve when Catherine harrumphed and swept regally out of the door. Kakkhanadori inclined his head—also sarcastically—and motioned more naturally for Hodaia to precede him.

When the quintet was properly settled at Life's Games, merely waiting for their multiplayer game to set up, Ilowe noticed that Catherine and Kakkhanadori had wrangled themselves onto opposing teams. That was not good; they would be trying their hardest to kill each other (virtually, of course, though he wasn't too sure it wouldn't happen in real life) whenever it was their turn. That would only fuel their animosity...

Or perhaps it was a way for them to vent their feelings. They certainly seemed more relaxed after they had tied in their first bout (the first ever match of the game, incidentally), though Kakkhanadori seemed to be scowling to himself indignantly. Luckily, Catherine was on the other side of the console and didn't see it.

Tenna did.

After a good thirty minutes or so of this, the quintet gave up and retired to Niger Et Candidus. It was here that they spotted an ubiquitous cause for tension _other_ than the split amongst two of their number.

'_Vorízentai,'_ three voices immediately spat. If the mood within the quintet had been strained before, it soured worse than spoiled milk now and stank just as badly.

The Valkyrie, being of some distance away from them, did not hear them. But as their arrival let in rays of sunlight otherwise not permitted (seeing as it _was_ a Vampire bar), she turned to them anyway.

Like the sundry other times he had seen her, the Valkyrie still possessed that sense of allure about her, but it was tainted in hindsight with the knowledge of what she had done to him. Ilowe could not imagine how it was for the Legendary, whom she had caused _real_ damage, or for Hodaia, whose wounds ran almost as deep. It was trying enough to resist the urge to vomit every time the Valkyrie's exotically dark countenance crossed his line of vision.

He nevertheless chanced a second glance at her in time to catch the malicious glint marring her features.

'_Let's leave,'_ Tenna suggested, turning around. The others followed. When Kakkhanadori and Catherine left, Ilowe noticed, the former, in the process of opening the door for the latter, happened to lean in close to the Lady Ki Breaker. Catherine shot him a look, but by this time they were all out of the door and Kakkhanadori had already stepped back. The Human sniffed and turned around, but did not relax until many moments later.

Ilowe was responsible for that.

:-:-:-:

_The buildings all around him reminded him of a scene he had been in a long time ago, perhaps in another dimension. He certainly didn't think he'd been here on Earth, but the architectural style was identical..._

_The abandoned and ramshackle condition of nearly all these buildings lent support to his doubts. Nevertheless, he'd _seen_ this before; the question was where..._

_He soon forgot the echoes of memory when he wandered around the slipping form of some administrative edification that no longer served its purpose. The sight he beheld, in fact, stopped him in his tracks. _

"_Giku," he uttered, the only sound in the completely destroyed scenery. The form of the purple-haired woman stirred, then stilled. _

_The buzzing and badly-flickering swarm of particles next to her did not. Shrieking, it drew itself up, spinning rapidly, and launched at him. He sidestepped it easily, stood as if he hadn't moved, and stared at his Lady Ki Breaker. _

_Her back was to him, so he could not make out any facial details—he ducked the particle-being again—but the distinctive midnight purple hair was disheveled, her clothes were cheap and torn, showing large areas of her back. Said back was grey in color, and what he could see of her spine stood out starkly. _

_He jumped over a low attack of the Ki Breaker's guardian and started forward. Ignoring the increased shrieks of the particle-being, he squatted beside the emaciated woman and gently touched the shoulder. _

_He leapt back onto his feet as the skeleton sprang toward him, its claw-like fingers reaching out for him and the lower half of its face, twisted in a snarl, emitting a dull roar. Though he did not approach her again, he still bent to her level to try and see her face—_

With a gasp, Kakkhanadori woke up. Lying in his bed, he struggled to even his breath. His nerves, jangled by the dream, would not allow him to achieve this, but caused him to leave the bed and the very room entirely.

What was Fate trying to do, sending him nightmares of Vorízentai in Catherine's body?

:-:-:-:

_Dark. That adjective was the first one to come to her mind. Her environment was entirely comprised of dark colors: predominantly black, burgundy, blood-red, and others. The furniture was dark, the walls were dark, and even the windows were tinted darkly, even if somehow one could still see out of them. The view was nothing but more darkness..._

_And in the middle of it all sat Kakkhanadori, matching the décor almost perfectly with his black hair and black suit, black shirt, black tie, and the black expression in his black eyes. _

_The gaze of the man at the black table was fixed not on her, but at the door she had just come in. But there was no door, she thought confusedly, catching sight of her reflection in the mirror (black-edged, a distant part noticed). Turning to look, she confirmed the reflection's claim: There was not a door. So then, that begged the question of what Kakkhanadori was staring at..._

_Only now did she notice how unresponsive to her presence Kakkhanadori was. Whatever she did, his eyes did not follow the movement, not even a flicker just to see. Frowning, se walked directly up to Kakkhanadori, placed her hands upon the table, and leaned in _very_ closely, almost as if she were going to kiss him. No response, not even an instinctual leaning back, or a leaning forward to receive her kiss. He simply stared. _

_Straightening, she reached out to touch his cheek. Her hand instantly snatched itself back when it felt how cold the skin was; hurriedly she took off her coat and started to drape it over him. In the process, she accidentally hit his head with her elbow and sent him face-down onto the desk. About to apologize, she looked down and screamed. _

:-:-:-:

Kakkhanadori buttoned up his overcoat, musing on how tired his reflection looked. Finishing the last button, he straightened the coat and stood tall. He didn't look too bad for having such a bad night as last night, and he was stalling. He sighed.

The Legendary Lord had just turned to the door of his house when all by itself it slid open. Catherine shut it behind herself—resentment rekindled itself at her presumptuousness—and hurried over to him.

'_Don't go out today,'_ she told him urgently, catching hold of a coat lapel. Kakkhanadori instantly detached the hand.

'_Why?'_ he retorted coldly, dropping the hand as if it meant nothing to him. He tried to move by her, but Catherine persisted.

'_I mean it!'_ she insisted. She didn't touch him this time, but she would not unblock his path whatever he did to make her.

'_You don't have the right to give me orders.' _

'_You'll get killed!'_ Catherine exclaimed.

He laughed scornfully. Unexpectedly, the Human stepped up to him, seized his face in both hands, and roughly kissed him. Astonished at first, Kakkhanadori soon pushed her from him—

The explosion pitched Catherine forward. Automatically, Kakkhanadori caught her in his grip, even as his stunned-anew mind reeled.

What just happened? he inquired distantly. He answered himself a short moment later: Catherine had just saved him from being blown to bits, that's what happened. His immortality, though it protected against death, most certainly did not provide for keeping the body intact.

This in mind, Kakkhanadori drew Catherine in to a real embrace, where they waited in tandem for the rumbling aftershocks to fade.

"That's why I didn't want you to go out," Catherine said softly in Earthling when the waves of the ki blast had stopped pounding upon the windows and shaking the house. "You would have died."

Kakkhanadori frowned. _'I wouldn't have died,'_ he told her. His arms still encircled her, something Catherine didn't seem to notice as she drew back.

'_I don't care how strong you think you are,'_ she said, gazing at him wearily. _'That blast would have killed you.'_

'_Blown me to bits, maybe, but not killed me,'_ answered Kakkhanadori. Catherine huffed and tried to break his embrace, but he stopped her.

'_Has no one told you?' _he inquired of her, effortlessly holding the Human in place. Nevertheless, Catherine did not abate in her struggles, but retorted: _'Told me what?'_

'_That I am an Immortal.'_

The Ki Breaker stared up at him. _'Is this true?' _she choked out when she saw his perfectly serious expression. Kakkhanadori finally allowed her to step out of his arms, reaffirmed his answer.

'_All this time, I was worrying...'_ she exclaimed, stepping back again. _'I-I need to think about this. Please don't...' _Without finishing her statement, she turned and fled from the house.

Thinking that it was best to respect Catherine's wishes and leave her alone for the time being, Kakkhanadori (sighing) instead went without the house to see what the damage was. Surprisingly, there were very few bodies lying about—perhaps Foreknowledge had told the other occupants of Gaits Lanaid what it had excluded from Kakkhanadori. Nevertheless, the few casualties were still casualties, and the damage to the streets and some of the houses could not be ignored.

By the time he had finished with helping clean up as much as he could, it was nearly afternoon, and he had missed the midday hour.

:-:-:-:

When he had showered, dressed, and eaten, Kakkhanadori came out of his house to find Catherine sitting on the veranda and surveying the crew still working within Gaits Lanaid's cul-de-sac. Slowly, so as not to startle her, the Saiyan joined her upon the veranda and followed her gaze.

'_Even if you can't die,'_ Catherine said after a few moments, _'I'd still like you to be careful. You never know what can happen.' _

'_You're right,'_ he answered. _'As this morning's explosion confirms.' _He indicated the fissure of a street that lay before them.

'_I'm sorry I called you unreasonable before,' _the Lady Ki Breaker said at another length. Kakkhanadori looked over at her, at the way she sat, how she gazed upon the damage of Gaits Lanaid without flinching, and called himself seven kinds of idiot from here to Sunday.

'_Come here,'_ he said to her, holding out an arm. Catherine looked up, saw what he was offering, and scooted over next to him with such relief as prompted him to say, _'How did we let such a silly thing come between us?' _

She shook her head. _'I don't know, but let's try and never do that again. Let's have fights about the things that _really_ matter, okay?' _

'_How about never having fights at all?' _As soon as he said it, Kakkhanadori knew how silly _that_ was; even between the two most agreeable people in the universe (which he and Catherine most certainly were _not_) eventually there existed friction too much to ignore. _'Forget what I just said; _that _was silly.' _

'_Hm.'_ She rested her head on his shoulder. _'I missed you,'_ she sighed. _'It didn't help that Anton and Tenna were _everywhere._' _

'_At least you didn't have to deal with the both of them silently glaring at you whenever you were alone with them,'_ Kakkhanadori offered. A reluctant smile pulled on the edges of his mouth when Catherine laughed.

In the midst of another silence (one far more comfortable than the ones of yesterday and the week preceding), Kakkhanadori asked something that had been bothering him for a while: _'How did you know to warn me of the impending explosion? Was it Foreknowledge?' _

Catherine shook her head. _'It was two things, really. One, I'd had a really bad nightmare last night, and two, when I woke up, I had such a bad feeling in my stomach that I almost threw up. It lessened when I started over here, though, which meant to me that I was on the right track.' _She tilted her head up. _'Why do you ask?' _

He smiled at how cute she looked at that particular moment. _'I was just wondering. Foreknowledge isn't usually so active. It just supplies you with the information you need to know precisely _when_ you need to know it. It certainly doesn't send people racing all the way from the Seren Wanderlands to Gaits Lanaid at the crack of dawn like a dimension was about to collapse.'_

Catherine wrinkled her nose. _'I guess it must not have been Foreknowledge then,'_ she stated nonchalantly. Kakkhanadori chuckled.

'_I guess not,'_ he answered. _'Whatever it was, I'm grateful. I did _not_ want to spend my entire day in an uncomfortable state of non-corporeality while the Healers put my body back together. I'm pretty sure I would _still_ have been in my body, too, which is just painful to think about.' _

Kakkhanadori was glad Catherine could now laugh, however weakly, about it.

'_Catherine,' _he said, when the Human had snuggled up to him again, _'the next time you have bad feelings, don't ignore them. If you can, I'd like you to tell me or someone else about them, even if the feeling is just barely under the threshold, but don't ignore them. They will serve you well, if you just let them.' _

He had unnerved his Ki Breaker with the intensity of his supplication, he saw. Nevertheless, Catherine said she would not ignore her instincts; this promise preceded the question of what brought this on.

The Saiyan smiled wryly. _'A little feeling of my own, you could say,'_ he responded, smiling more naturally when Catherine did. He even laughed slightly. _'All right, that's enough of that,'_ he declared in the next moment. _'Let's get out of here.' _

'_Agreed,'_ Catherine responded. _'I didn't tell Tenna I was coming here, so...'_

'_Oh, please,'_ he retorted. _'If Tenna has been spending as much time with her boyfriend as you say she has, then surely she can excuse you for a little time with your own.'_

'_Well...' _Catherine wavered, then yelped when Kakkhanadori swept her up.

'_Come on,'_ he encouraged. _'You know you want to ditch them.'_

'_Well, yeah, but Tenna's going to freak out if I do.' _

'_Pfft,' _he pronounced. _'If she's going to do that, then you definitely have been spending too much time with her.' _So saying this, he put her down, took her hand, and began leading her down from the veranda.

'_All right, but it'll be on your head,'_ Catherine taunted lightly, stepping down nimbly. She laughed when he looked to be reconsidering their spontaneous adventure. _'Nuh-uh, you don't get to back out of it now,'_ she told him, pushing him in the back gently. _'You suggested it, and now you'll have to face the consequences.' _

'_Thanks,'_ Kakkhanadori retorted semi-sarcastically, now no longer leading Catherine but walking side-by-side with her around the team working in the street and out of Gaits Lanaid. _'Somehow it always ends up being _my _fault.' _

'_Not always,'_ Catherine assured him. _'Just most of the time.' _

The Saiyan Looked at the Human, at how earnest she was, and rolled his eyes. Despite his action, he relished the banter between them. It was almost as if the fight hadn't happened...but it had. Still, he didn't regret the sudden cessation of the mutual silent treatment. On the contrary, he rather regretted that it took the perceived threat of death and not the desire to reconcile on one or both sides for it to happen.

Nevertheless, looking at Catherine, he was content with where he was.

As Catherine had predicted, however, Kakkhanadori did have to stand under a "blistering" lecture by Tenna over the disappearance of the Lady Ki Breaker hours later.

:-:-:-:

A/n: And our couple has its first fight. Lovely. Other than that, the plot thickens. :B

:-:-:-:

SNEAK PREVIEW OF: Nightmare

'_Kakkhanadori—'_ She grasped at the Immortal's arm (he had been getting himself ready to get up from the couch to prepare for the afternoon shift). Kakkhanadori turned immediately, concern on his features.

But Catherine only entreated him, _'Be really careful today, Kakkhanadori. I have a bad feeling again, but it's not life-threateningly bad. Just...' _

:-:-:-:

Thanks to **Lov3the3vil** and **lpgohanfanatic** for reviewing!

Ciao,

**TheShadowPanther** and Allati, from **AASN**

**AASN;** Writing is what we do for you at **AASN**. Enjoy.

_Updated 06.11.08  
_


	17. Chapter Sixteen: Nightmare

**Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper **

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha!

Chapter Sixteen: Nightmare

From another nightmare Catherine awoke to find Kakkhanadori bending over her. The Saiyan, perceiving her open eyes, straightened.

"Move over," he said in Earthling. The bed creaked slightly when Kakkhanadori sat upon it in the space Catherine willingly furnished for him. "This is the third nightmare you've had this week. Are you okay?"

A weak nod that did nothing whatsoever in way of reassuring him. Subsequently he inquired, "What's in the nightmare? The explosion?" He raised an eyebrow when Catherine shook her head.

"It's the one I had before the explosion," she slurred, still groggy from the little sleep she'd yet had. "The one where you die."

"I die?" Kakkhanadori thought he was successful in keeping the surprise from his voice. Catherine didn't seem to notice in any case, only nodding sleepily.

"You were in a dark room, where almost everything was black. You yourself were wearing black, a suit, but you were just staring at the wall. Your eyes didn't move when I did and you were so cold to the touch...because you were dead. There were several gashes on your back, all of which had blood seeping from them." She took a deep breath. "But then you disappeared. I kept looking for you, but weren't anywhere. You were dead!"

"Shh," Kakkhanadori soothed. He smoothed his fingers over her forehead, saying, "I'm not dead, Gikuko. I'm right here."

The eyelashes parted. Grey looked out at him; their bereavement stopped his heart. Then she blinked, the black returned, and the bereft quality vanished. "You are," she murmured, her expression lightening. "I'm so glad." She let her head fall back on the pillow. "I'm so glad," she repeated her eyes closing in the middle of her sentence.

Sitting for a while to make sure she really slept, Kakkhanadori finally bent and placed a warm kiss on her forehead. He was out of the room a second later.

Tenna hovered in the living room, an uncharacteristically closed expression upon her face. _'Thanks for calming her down, Kakkhanadori,'_ the Drake greeted. _'She gets anxious like that every time you leave.'_

'_She does?'_

Tenna nodded. _'She doesn't have nightmares all the time, but she hasn't really been getting a good night's sleep at all this week.'_ She scowled.

'_Should I stay with her then?'_ Kakkhanadori inquired. Concern creased his brow.

Tenna opened her mouth to answer when a little scream issued from the room Kakkhanadori had just left. They swung around to see Catherine stumble out, nearly falling with the tangle of sheets about her body. Her eyes, black and glassy, were open, but they saw nothing that was real around her.

The only reason she did not fall was because Kakkhanadori easily expended the effort necessary to catch her in time. The Human, whose eyes had been staring at things only they could see, snapped to him.

"Oh, there you are," she murmured dazedly, blinking. Her voice changed to plaintive. "Why'd you disappear?"

She fainted before Kakkhanadori could answer.

Sharing looks with Tenna, the Saiyan picked the Ki Breaker up in his arms and carried her into her room. Laying her on the bed within, the Immortal and the Drake exchanged glances again when, barely five minutes after being placed upon her bed, Catherine again showed signs of distress.

'_I think you'd better stay with her, milord,'_ Tenna stated. Her khaki eyes were serious.

Kakkhanadori was already sitting upon the bed, stripping off his shoes, coat, and over-shirt. Tenna took the clothes wordlessly while he laid back and adjusted the sheets over himself; already Catherine shifted closer to him in her sleep, sighing at the first contact she had with his arm.

'_Good night,'_ Tenna wished them. _'I hope it'll be better than the last five,'_ she added under her breath. Kakkhanadori snorted, but not derisively.

For a while, he could not really relax; it was more than the awkwardness of the situation that prevented this. But even he could not evade sleep, although instinct told him he would need to take the afternoon shift for work the next day, instead of the usual morning. In sleep, he finally settled not only himself down, but also Catherine. Both rested securely in each other's company, one perhaps more than the other; the observance remains the same.

It would be the other way around in the morning.

Kakkhanadori was awake a few minutes before Catherine was, meaning he got in a "Good morning" before the Ki Breaker was fully awake. The Saiyan was briefly amused to hear (and feel) the Ki Breaker breathe a return greeting into his shoulder, then have a pause as Catherine questioned exactly whom she was talking to and what her face was squashed in. Lifting her head slowly, she blinked at the face raising an eyebrow at her.

"Aaah!" she screamed. She would have fallen out of the bed had Kakkhanadori not restrained her, but even then she scrambled.

"It's all right!" Kakkhanadori tried to assure her, to no avail. Acting quickly, he lightly took Catherine's wrists in one hand and, with the other hand supporting him, just as lightly leaned over her, just enough to make her struggles harder and yet not be completely upon her. The latter would only make things worse.

While Catherine tried to escape him, he murmured nonsense reassurings to her, nonsense that nonetheless had its effect. Minutely, very minutely, she began to fight less. Kakkhanadori did not move whatever she did, nor did he cease the flow of assurance. At last Catherine sagged against the pillow, breathing hard, and stared up at him.

'_You done?'_

Reluctantly, Catherine nodded. _'At least tell me this:'_ she implored, _'Did we do anything in the night, anything at all?'_

'_No,'_ he answered truthfully. _'We just rested together.' _

The Ki Breaker shut her eyes, exhaled violently. Reaffixing her gaze onto the concerned Kakkhan, she requested, shakily but in no uncertain terms, _'Please get out of my bed.' _

'_As you wish,' _Kakkhanadori responded. He bent down a little more, first, to place a kiss upon Catherine's forehead, then released her forearms and rolled off of the bed. Snagging his shirt off of the chair it hung on, he took the initiative to leave the room entirely.

The Saiyan could _feel_ the relief pool into the room in his wake. Thankful that Tenna was nowhere to be seen (as much for her sake as his), Kakkhanadori tried his level best to ignore the sobs. Instead he stepped into the kitchen, put on and buttoned his shirt, and began looking about.

Minutes later, when he had a nice platter of food beginning to sizzle nicely, he felt a hand upon his arm.

'_You're making breakfast?'_ a clear-eyed Catherine asked. _'What about your work?'_

'_The Lady told me to take the afternoon shift just before I fell asleep last night.'_ He held the pan he had carefully away from Catherine while he stirred its contents. Finishing that, the Saiyan replaced the pan upon the heat and turned to face his girlfriend.

'_You okay?'_ he inquired concernedly. Catherine didn't answer for a moment, but eventually—

'_Why were you in my bed? I remember I had the nightmare, and I remember vaguely telling you about it, but I don't remember you getting into the bed.' _

'_I didn't, not then. I'd even left your room and was talking to Tenna, when you screamed and came out of your room. You had the sheets tangled around your legs so that you nearly fell; but luckily, I was able to catch you. You looked at me like you'd just realized I was there, and asked me, "Why'd you disappear?"' _He took in a deep breath. _'It seemed logical to stay with you then.'_

The last he said to Catherine's head, for the Ki Breaker had leaned said appendage into his shoulder and slid her fingers up his back to his shoulder blades. He, in turn, had drawn her closer quite unthinkingly; now he rested his chin on top of her hair.

At length, Kakkhanadori uttered, _'Why didn't you tell me you were still anxious? I would have stayed if you asked.' _

Catherine huffed a laugh. _'I've _got_ to stop telling Tenna everything,'_ she remarked. _'She's too much of a busybody after all.' _

'_However true that is, it still doesn't answer my question.' _

The Human looked up at him, smiled for the first time in what was probably days. _'I was trying not to worry you,'_ she said. Kakkhanadori snorted. _'I know, highly successful. I just figured that you had enough on your plate what with your missions and all.' _

The Saiyan was a patient person. But sometimes even he wanted to shake some people and knock some sense into them.

He didn't shake Catherine, but the Ki Breaker saw his emotion anyway. _'I'm sorry,'_ she tried, but Kakkhanadori only kissed her.

'_I'd rather worry about you and know what's going on than worry and not know,'_ he scolded her firmly when he drew back. _'I'd rather be here with you than on any mission the Lady sends me. You're more important to me than the fate of a dimension or two. Do not ever do this to me because of a pathetic excuse like that again, understand?'_

'_Yes,'_ Catherine gasped, hanging onto his arms as if for dear life. The smile collecting at the edges of her mouth belied her pleased feelings despite the impression. _'I'm sorry I ever thought that in the first place.'_ She abruptly motioned to his right. _'I think the food is about to burn.' _

'_Wha—?"_ Kakkhanadori turned to see the truth of his girlfriend's assessment. Sparing no time for oaths, he rescued the browning meal and juggled it onto another platter that had been waiting for it. _'Good catch,'_ he muttered distractedly. _'It was almost too late.' _

His only answer arrived in the form of two arms encircling his torso and a cheek upon his shoulder blade. Mouth curving, he twisted just enough to plant another kiss upon the Human's forehead, then turned back to the breakfast he'd just produced.

'_One for you,'_ he announced, holding up a prepared plate. Catherine seemed to be reluctant to let go of him, but she accepted the plate with enthusiasm once she sniffed it. When Kakkhanadori had measured out a portion for Tenna and himself (with Tenna's much smaller than his), they moved to the table together.

When Tenna Athenike at length walked into the kitchen, still in her sleepwear and groggy, she found the pair sitting literally elbow-to-elbow and feeding each other parts of their breakfast.

'_Aww, isn't that sweet?'_ she cooed (once her sleep-fogged brain recognized the full picture, that is). _'Last night wasn't too bad, I take it.'_

'_Yes, about that,'_ Catherine began, a glint in her eye. Kakkhanadori, knowing what was coming, smirked and leaned back. He wished distantly for popcorn as Tenna cowered under the Ki Breaker's wrath; as a replacement, he offered Tenna no help whatsoever whenever she looked for it. The poor Drake could not even glare at him, for Catherine would only demand to know if the Drake was listening. Tenna would have to snap back to attention and answer hurriedly in the positive while the Lady Ki Breaker winked at him.

Finally, Catherine wound down with: _'And though it was Kakkhanadori's idea to stay, you could have told him to move to the living room in the morning or something like that. Not that I don't appreciate what you did,'_ she addressed to Kakkhanadori, who simply gestured for her to carry on, _'but it would have been a better start to the morning at least.' _

Taking a deep breath, she smiled sweetly at the besieged Tenna. _'That's all I wanted to say,'_ the Human announced in a flouncing way of tone. _'Thanks for listening.'_ She turned around and sat down by Kakkhanadori again, who draped one of his arms around her shoulder.

He couldn't contain his laughter when Catherine pointed to Tenna's waiting plate and asked perfectly innocently, _'Breakfast?'_

:-:-:-:

Catherine had just barely begun to relax, savoring Kakkhanadori's reassuringly solid presence, when she tensed up again.

'_Kakkhanadori—'_ She grasped at the Immortal's arm (he had been getting himself ready to get up from the couch to prepare for the afternoon shift). Kakkhanadori turned immediately, concern on his features.

But Catherine only entreated him, _'Be really careful today, Kakkhanadori. I have a bad feeling again, but it's not life-threateningly bad. Just...' _

'_I'll be careful,'_ Kakkhanadori promised. He held Catherine close for a second. _'Thanks,'_ he murmured into her ear. _'I'll see you later.'_

Catherine produced a wobbly smile for him, which the Saiyan saw through but nevertheless appreciated. Chucking her on the chin, he did swear _'I'll come back in one piece, don't worry,'_ and planted a kiss on her forehead, but Catherine still followed him to the door and hovered anxiously.

She stood at the entrance long after Kakkhanadori vacated it, her hands worriedly gripping the doorjamb, before she turned and allowed the door to close.

:-:-:-:

Halfway through collecting materials for that day's dinner, Catherine dropped the groceries in question. Paying no attention to the spillage, she raced out of the Debiathes Cuisinery, her heart in her throat and bidding fair to climb even higher out of her mouth. It did not take her long to arrive at the rarely used entrance to the Road to the Stars, where a group of people unknown to here were busy helping a staggering Kakkhanadori out of the public intra-dimensional portal.

Her heart leapt into her throat at the sight of Kakkhanadori, who looked dazed and confused, and entirely ignorant of the brilliant white emanation flashing about him. Once again, Catherine felt that discomfort being near so much power, but she shook it off determinedly. She froze when Kakkhanadori saw her, for he instantly possessed such a fiercely hungry expression—she shook off her paralysis.

As she hurried toward him, she noticed the white emanation circled rapidly around the Saiyan, as if alert for danger, but there was none. Even after such a determination, the emanation did not disappear.

Finally there, Catherine almost fell on top of Kakkhanadori in her skid to a stop. She cried, "Oh!", began to get up, but Kakkhanadori seized her in his arms, refused to let go. Relaxing, Catherine shifted to get a better position (in the process surprising an indrawn breath from her boyfriend) on his lap. Running her fingers soothingly over his head, Catherine watched as other City residents retrieved more Dimension Keepers from the Road to the Stars. Most were injured, some in critical condition, a few dead. Only one appeared as unscathed as Kakkhanadori, but Catherine lost sight of the Minotaur as soon as she'd seen it.

She could only be grateful that her Immortal had survived.

:-:-:-:

He clung to Catherine, grateful she was here, wondering how he'd ever survived without her. The feel of her body was soft, her hair smelled like wildflowers, and her skin had that wonderfully female scent to it. He wondered if all Earthling girls had this smell; if so, then it was no wonder Vegeta was so willing to stay with Bulma despite her constant (if strangely loving) abuse. It was intoxicating.

'_It was an ambush,'_ he started suddenly, shakily. Catherine's hair pooled on top of his, the neck hosting his face thickened, a chin touched his temple, but he did not glance up at the Ki Breaker. _'They pounced as soon as the entire Keeper team—we were part of a company of fighters—came out of the portal. I don't know how they did it, but if you had not told me to be careful...'_

The hand dropped from his hair down to his back, joining the other one already there. Kakkhanadori leaned into the hug, removing his face only as long as necessary from its resting place. When the embrace ceased, his features reunited with the join of her neck and shoulders.

Kakkhanadori knew of the mass rescue happening around him, but his soul had been so jolted by the ambush, he could not make the effort to take part in it, only revel in the solidity and reassurance of someone he cared for.

He really had become weak.

Nevertheless, a Healer soon resolved his conflict, both with hisandher appearance and hisandher declaration. The hermaphroditic Healer parted Kakkhanadori and Catherine, yes, but heandshe also proclaimed the former unfit for anything else other than resting and returning home when able.

The Saiyan, grateful to the Healer for giving him an excuse not to take part (though his insides squirmed), dully followed Catherine instead to a nearby HTC table. This table was both near and far from the scene, where he could see it but not be in the way. This table was where Catherine situated him; exhausted suddenly (the adrenaline gone), he nearly collided his head with the table in the involuntary rush to sleep.

:-:-:-:

'_Why was such an attack performed?' _demanded, if quietly, one voice above his head. Kakkhanadori blinked imperceptibly, but evinced no other movement as the voice continued. _'Who would plan such a move?' _

'_I know why,'_ another voice cut in. Kakkhanadori realized there was an entire group clustered at his table, and that his head rested in Catherine's lap. The Saiyan had to force his still-tired brain away from that train of thought to focus on the discussion, but every motion of Catherine's distracted him.

A third voice had questioned the second voice as to the motive. The second voice drawled, _'The Dimension Keepers are the foremost representatives of the Demon Dimension. They are quite often the first faces of the Demon Dimension that foreigners see. Obviously someone wants to take revenge on the Keepers by taking them all out.' _

'_That's unlikely,'_ a fourth voice rebutted mildly. _'I believe that this was an attack upon the Demon Dimension as a whole, the first in a series. I agree with your point about the Keepers; they _are_ the first representatives of this Dimension. They are also one of the City's defenses; with how visible they are, it's natural to assume they would be scouted out first.' _

'_The City has been attacked before,'_ the second voice argued. _'Such attacks have never engendered such damage as this one.' _

'_But were the attacks aimed at the Dimension Keepers?'_

'_Never mind why, then,'_ the first voice said. _'Who is a more interesting question. If the mastermind knew enough about the City to see the Keepers as one of its defenses, then it must be a regular visitor to the Demon Dimension. Who would betray the Dimension in such a way?' _

'_And how did they do it?'_ Kakkhanadori sat up, meeting the eyes of the Centaur, the Faun, and the two Nymphs facing him. _'That is what _I_ would like to know.' _

The Centaur nodded grimly. The first voice revealed its owner when the half-Man half-Horse said, _'Welcome back to the Land of the Living, milord. We are glad you are not critically injured.'_

'_Oy, you lot!' _another voice called, this one from further away. _'You just hanging out over there?'_

'_Not anymore,'_ the leftmost Nymph (not a Nymph, Kakkhanadori realized, but a Psychic Twin) called in the fourth voice. The Twin on the right added, _'We're coming.' _

The Centaur and the Faun rose to join the Twins, the Faun bowing to Catherine and Kakkhanadori. The distant voice demanded,_ 'You, too, Lady Ki Breaker! The Legendary can take care of himself now; join us!' _

Kakkhanadori nodded to Catherine. _'Go on.'_ When she still hesitated, he insisted, _'They need you more than I do right now.'_ The Human shook her head, but hurried from the table without further protest.

The Saiyan had to turn away in order that he not seize Catherine from behind and kiss her senseless. He wondered at the sudden attention his mind paid to Catherine's every particle of existence; he was acting like a Saiyan with his unbonded mate.

After all the shocks this day had delivered to him, Kakkhanadori supposed his reaction was reasonable. Movement shook him out of reverie; he watched Catherine stride towards him, a platter of assorted blood-stained bandages in her hands.

Gods, even her walk was sexy.

He tried not to make his fascination obvious, but when he lifted his eyes to Catherine's face as she passed, he knew he had failed. Turning to follow her, Kakkhanadori admired the extra spring to her hips. He frowned, however, when he noticed the tension in the set of emotions flowing off of her.

Catherine stopped when they were both safely out of range of sight of the others. Kakkhanadori stepped up close to her, smelled again those wild flowers, but restrained himself from performing any other action.

'_No,'_ he said softly to Catherine. Anger ran as an undercurrent in his voice. _'I will not have sex with a woman—much less you—when she is obviously uncomfortable. I don't know why you didn't tell me to back off instantly, but I am doing so and will continue to until you and I are both ready.'_

Pivoting upon his heel, he left.

:-:-:-:

Hours passed. Kakkhanadori came awake with a groan of cramped muscles. He hadn't realized that he hadn't meditated in days—no wonder he had been so edgy. His soul had not been in the most familiar of structures, either—

It reminded him vaguely of what he as that Kakkhan-light creature had seen five years ago. It was not something he particularly wished to think about, but he had nothing else to compare the current structure to. Only, instead of seeing the white plane as if he was inside of it, he rather saw it as if he was beside it, and his side contained the darkness he was accustomed to.

In other words, his soul had divided into two.

Kakkhanadori stretched, yawned, chuckled briefly when his stomach grumbled at him. Besides the discoveries he had made, he had succeeded in centering himself. The ambush was now safely stored away, having been analyzed—it, along with the explosion and the Catherinean bed incident, would trouble him no more.

Stretching a final time, Kakkhanadori vaulted onto his feet. The entryway of the shrine into the living room approached, went past, and the living room greeted him curtly. The Saiyan (now truly a Saiyan in more ways than one, he mused) leaned upon the doorjamb of the kitchen. Amusement was a distant emotion to him, as was gratitude and the thing further within, while he watched the slender form fold plastic wrap over a large mixing bowl. Kakkhanadori didn't move when the form put aside the wrap and reached for a label, or when it bent over to place the bowl in the refrigerator.

He merely watched.

So when Catherine turned around and jumped at the sight of him, Kakkhanadori didn't really feel the amusement he knew he had. Instead he stepped forward deliberately, noting how the Ki Breaker drew in her breath. She watched him approach with wide black eyes, even backing up, once he was close enough, against the counter. But he only bent and kissed her softly.

'_I have some things to tell you,'_ he told her softly after straightening. _'Things you should know before our relationship goes any further.'_

Kakkhanadori started by stating precisely what a Saiyan was. He then explained the Saiyan mating rituals—only widening the Human's eyes even further—even if he did tell her had discovered something of a way to prevent the final stage of mating if it was undesired.

'_But that's not all of it, dear heart,'_ Kakkhanadori said. He and Catherine remained exactly in the same positions as in the beginning, but the Human exuded emotions of half-fascination and half-awe (or something close to that) instead of the entrapment she'd felt earlier. Now the fascination changed to wariness, and the awe (or its cousin) to curiosity. The Saiyan smiled a little.

'_It seems that my light core, which you've seen,'_ he reminded her, _'has, in actuality, been suppressing the most principal instincts of my Saiyan and human sides. That is, feelings of physical attraction,'_ he elaborated.

Catherine drew her breath in sharply again, eyes never leaving his.

'_I realized that our bond was developing,'_ Kakkhanadori continued, _'but I never really thought to question why those feelings in particular weren't really there. I was more focused on how much better I felt around you. But, now, with my light core freed from any forms of containment,'_ he gestured to the white free-form aura even he could see, _'those feelings are now free to express themselves.'_

He leaned in just a tiny bit closer. Nevertheless Catherine's breath hitched and she unconsciously curled in on herself a bit more. As if ignorant of this reaction (though it made his heart thump faster), he whispered, "If you tempt me, I'm terrified that I will not be able to restrain myself."

:-:-:-:

A/n: Ah. (Sweatdrops)

Allati: Yes, ah. (Sweatdrops)

:-:-:-:

SNEAK PREVIEW OF: Reactions

Her shoulders fell when she saw the hunched form of Kakkhanadori huddled against the wall. His white emanation flickered violently, displaying his inner battle for control for anyone skilled enough to see. Instead of feeling fear, however, Catherine unexpectedly felt a tremendous rush of affection towards him.

:-:-:-:

Thanks to **Lov3the3vil** and **lpgohanfanatic** for reviewing!

Bye!

**TheShadowPanther** and Allati, from **AASN**

**AASN;** Writing is what we do for you at **AASN**. Enjoy.

_Updated 06.17.08  
_


	18. Chapter Seventeen: Reactions

**Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper **

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha!

_Warnings: Non-Graphic Nudity, Mentions of Specific Parts of the Human Anatomy_

Chapter Seventeen: Reactions

Catherine stared at Kakkhanadori as the latter straightened. The slight smile was still upon his face, but it seemed tender and a little sad instead of amused like she'd thought.

'_Since I've given you a lot of food for thought, I'm going to leave you alone for now to think about it. Come up to the office if you want to talk about it; in the meantime I'll just grab the salad you were working on. It looked delicious.' _

Catherine couldn't help but shiver at the last word. Kakkhanadori, already moving toward the refrigerator, did not notice. Soon he had vacated the room (though not without looking back at her) and left her alone.

Catherine could do nothing other than slide helplessly to the floor. "Oh, my Kami," she whispered to herself. "What just happened?"

She squashed her initial reaction to hyperventilate; instead she said, "Okay. Let's go over it one by one." Talking helped drive away the bubbly butterflies dancing up her esophagus. "I was making preparations for tonight's dinner when I turn around and see Kakkhanadori at the door. He has this strange face on, which makes me feel like I'm a particularly interesting specimen of some sort. Then he walks straight up to me, traps me against the wall, and kisses me.

"He then tells me he has something to tell me, and proceeds to explain what a Saiyan is—I can't believe they're _were-monkeys_—and the...mating—oh!"

She buried her head in her arms. The tears streaked down her face as she finally reacted to the day; waking up with Kakkhanadori lying next to her in her bed, her bad feeling, the ambush, the almost-sex with Kakkhanadori, worrying about him, and now this.

Trying to muffle her sobs, she gave up a second later. There wasn't anyone else around—she checked hastily to confirm this—so she couldn't be judged.

When the sobs ceased, many minutes later, Catherine began seriously thinking about the information Kakkhanadori had imparted. She hadn't noticed any telepathy occurring between the two of them, but sometimes she did feel like Kakkhanadori knew her better than she knew herself. Could she say the same for the Immortal?

She straightened as an idea suddenly occurred to her. Kakkhanadori was very likely to have nightmares tonight, and wouldn't even think about getting help for them beforehand. He was too used to being able to do things by himself, often to his own detriment and/or the exclusion of others in his life. Well, Catherine was not prepared to allow that to happen. Whether Kakkhanadori liked it or not, he was not sleeping alone tonight; the nightmares would not go away by themselves.

Satisfied with that, Catherine rose to her feet. Detouring into the lower-level bathroom first, she checked over her appearance. Deciding she didn't look too bad, considering, she nevertheless had to admit that she did indeed know Kakkhanadori better than he did.

Cheered, Catherine then proceeded to march up the stairs and into Kakkhanadori's office (recalling the Saiyan's words before his departure). Sure enough, the Dimension Keeper was hunched over the keyboard to his console. Soft noises told Catherine the Saiyan had fallen asleep—or so she thought until he jerked upright. She realized that Kakkhanadori had almost fallen face-flat upon the keyboard; the contact had woken him. While Kakkhanadori still gazed blearily around, she took the opportunity to lay her hand upon his shoulder.

'_Bedtime, Kakkhanadori,'_ she told him. Gently removing one of his hands from their resting place, Catherine led Kakkhanadori out of his seat and towards the door. Kakkhanadori, after mumbling incoherently, finally seemed to recognize Catherine, obediently followed her. However, when the Ki Breaker ducked into her room for a few seconds to pick out the spare pajamas stored there, his brow furrowed slowly.

As Catherine retook his hand and restarted the epic journey towards his room, Kakkhanadori had to ask: _'Are you staying here tonight?' _

'_Yes.'_ She slid open the door to his room and guided him to the bed. _'Now, you stay here while I get changed. When I'm done, you can change while I get ready for bed. Then we'll try to get to sleep and we'll talk in the morning, okay?' _

'_Mm-hmm,'_ Kakkhanadori responded. Catherine nodded, as if satisfied, and gathered up her sleepwear again. He almost dozed off again before she emerged from the bathroom, but she rescued him in time.

When he stepped out of the bathroom, brain more awake through the necessity of autonomous movement, he found Catherine had climbed into his bed and was tying her hair back in a high ponytail. Stunned, the Saiyan could only stare for a second in total speechlessness.

'_What are you doing?'_ he finally blurted out.

Catherine looked up, a hair-tie in her mouth, then looked down at the sheets covering her legs. _'I'm spending the night with you,'_ she answered calmly around the hair-tie. But Kakkhanadori only continued to stare at her, panic flitting into him for the first time in his life he could remember. He tried to swallow it down, but it still showed itself in his voice when he said:

'_I didn't think you meant it like this. Catherine, this—'_

'_You are not spending the night by yourself,' _Catherine interrupted firmly. _'After such a day you've had, you're going to have nightmares, and I refuse to let you suffer them alone.' _

'_But that doesn't mean you have to share my bed!'_ Kakkhanadori argued. _'This isn't a good idea. You would be perfectly as able to relieve the nightmares in the next room, which, incidentally, is_ your_ room—'_

'_I don't want to _just_ relieve your nightmares.'_ Catherine pierced him with a steady gaze. _'I want to be there right when you have them, so you don't have to dream them long. Like it or not, you've had a bad day; I'd like to end it as quickly as possible for you.' _She paused, then finished in a softer tone, _'I'd also just like to be with you.' _

Kakkhanadori swallowed. The peace he'd gleaned from the day's meditation had completely fled, leaving bubbling fear in its wake. He managed to hold it back, however, long enough to say: _'I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to wake up the next morning and see that I've taken advantage of you. If I lost your respect in that way—'_

'_Come here,' _Catherine cut in, holding her hands out to him. Kakkhanadori tried, he really did, but soon his feet carried him unwillingly to the Human's side. _'Thank you,'_ she said when he placed his hands in hers. _'For telling your concerns. But nothing is going to happen. Neither you nor I will allow it. We are simply going to rest together, that's all. _

'_If, in fact, you do try anything, I will immediately get up out of this bed and get out, no matter how asleep I am, okay? Please trust me. I know what I'm doing.' _

'_Do you?' _Kakkhanadori couldn't help but inquire. Still, Catherine's impromptu speech had reduced the fear inside of him to, instead, not a little unease. Nevertheless, he was far too unwilling to go against Catherine's wishes. On the other hand, he may have been trying to drive himself into exhaustion by hours of working on his computer in order not to face the nightmares...

'_Yes.'_ The firm answer brought him back to the present. Kakkhanadori focused on Catherine's face and all of a sudden noticed the seriousness it contained. He examined her closely now for any uncertainty, but his Human never wavered.

He sighed. _'All right,'_ he said finally, tugging his hands from Catherine's grasp. _'But please tell me you still have your bra on. I'm not getting into the bed if you don't.'_

Catherine briefly drew her shirt collar back to expose the strap resting underneath. _'And I have underwear on, along with my sleeping pants.' _

Kakkhanadori nodded reluctantly. _'All right.' _With nothing else in the way, he moved around the bed and settled into the other side with a sigh. He felt hyper-aware of Catherine's presence beside him again (albeit with the sense of unease absent from the earlier awareness); he had to shut his eyes tightly when Catherine turned on her side. But, before he knew it, he had relaxed and drifted to the edges of consciousness. His only hope escaped him in a last unsaid prayer, one that he doubted Lady Fate would heed.

:-:-:-:

Catherine was glad she'd stayed with Kakkhanadori when she awoke early the next morning. Said person had, during the course of the night, somehow managed to curl up around her in a position obviously appreciative of her presence. Currently his head lay upon her breast, his arms gently clasped her as they might a stuffed animal, and one of his legs entwined with hers. His face possessed such an expression of peace, moreover, that she easily believed he had not suffered any nightmares at all last night.

Neither, now she thought about it, had she.

Kakkhanadori stirred then, perhaps alerted to her state of wakefulness by the shift of her breathing. Sighing, she gently pushed the Saiyan to the side and rose from the bed. Within minutes she was stepping into the shower, the water instantly relaxing her.

Meanwhile Kakkhanadori slept on. Nonetheless, the movement of his pillow had disturbed him; it was not much later that he blinked sleepily at the ceiling, wondering what had woken him and why he felt so unusually rested. Shrugging to both of the questions at last, Kakkhanadori blinked again at the ceiling, then sighed and shoved the sheets aside. He scrubbed at his face for a few vigorous seconds before rising and meandering to the bathroom.

'_E-excuse me,'_ he choked out a second later. Turning around hastily, he snapped the door shut, took one stiff-legged step forward, and nearly collapsed upon the wall for support.

His face turned a pasty-grey.

Catherine, still within the bathroom, quickly wrapped her towel around herself and tied her bathrobe on over it. Her heart pounding, she waited for Kakkhanadori to come back in and do—something, anything—but several seconds ticked by without the expected re-entrance. Surprised, Catherine hesitantly approached the closed door, ready for it to spring open, but she reached it without that event happening either. Sliding the door open, she looked out and around—

Her shoulders fell when she saw the hunched form of Kakkhanadori huddled against the wall. His white emanation flickered violently, displaying his inner battle for control for anyone skilled enough to see. Instead of feeling fear, however, Catherine unexpectedly felt a tremendous rush of affection towards him.

Here was a man who thought so much of her that he would warn her of his darker impulses and struggle to contain said impulses rather than make her uncomfortable. This was a man who would rather go without her than violate her, would rather push her away than make a mistake he'd regret his entire life because of his feelings for her. How could she not have seen this before, how could she not have known the depths of his kindness?

How could she not love him even more, now that she did know?

A few steps brought her directly behind the straining Saiyan. That back, wide and strong, stiffened as she encircled his waist with her arms; while she laid her cheek upon his shoulder blade, Kakkhanadori showed he was not made of petrified wood only by dint of the intense vibrations of his body and the quick breaths pushing against the grip of her hands.

'_Catherine—'_ he breathed, but the Lady Ki Breaker squeezed his middle to silence him.

'_Don't,'_ she told him. _'Yes, you saw me naked,'_—Kakkhanadori hissed in protest—_'but you didn't do anything about it. At least, not to me. You're trying so hard, Kakkhanadori, you're so afraid that if you let go of that tight control of yourself—'_ She sighed, a sharp sound in the painful and heavy silence. _'I'm not afraid.' _

Catherine had to release Kakkhanadori as the latter turned. _'Why not?'_ he demanded urgently. His eyes were wild, his white emanation even brighter, as if he was on the brink of the abyss and, he feared, there was nothing that could bring him back.

Catherine only smiled affectionately at him, cast out her lifelines and began reeling him in.

'_I trust you,'_ she said simply, finally finding a few of the words she really wanted to say. The surprise on Kakkhanadori's face caused a mixture of feelings inside of her, but Catherine put them aside for the moment. _'And I do very much want to be your mate,'_ she confessed, a little shyly.

The Human waited in suspense while shock blanked out Kakkhanadori's face. Precious seconds passed, their duration an eon; finally, unable to take it any more, Catherine placed a hand on the Saiyan's cheek, voiced, "Kakkhanadori?"

She watched, breath bated, as Kakkhanadori's eyes focused and found her. He drew in a sharp breath, reached up to the hand on his cheek, uttered, "Giku," in a voice that was strangled by so emotions all at once, but the one she heard foremost—

"Giku," Kakkhanadori said again. Catherine's hand fell from his cheek when the Saiyan drew her into a tight embrace, the tightest she had ever experienced. "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

Catherine held onto Kakkhanadori's neck tightly, afraid that if she let go, he and this...this...she didn't have a name for whatever this was, but if this was just a dream...

She whispered, "I think the real question is: what did _I _ever do to deserve _you_?"

When Kakkhanadori chuckled (a half-hearted effort, but still there), she drew back in confusion. But he only shook his head at her. _'You should not be the one asking those questions,'_ he said, bending to place his head upon hers.

'_Why not?' _Catherine questioned quietly. But Kakkhanadori looked at her with surprise; she blinked. _'What?'_

The Saiyan searched her eyes carefully for a second before laughing in a low tone again. _'I can't believe it,'_ he commented.

'_What?'_ Catherine insisted, hating being left in the dark. Kakkhanadori lowered his head again before responding, _'Telepathy. It's begun.'_

'_What?'_

He smiled. _'Can't you hear it? That subtle difference between the inner and outer self...'_

Catherine's eyes widened. Before she registered it, she had said, quite without moving her lips, 'Telepathy?' The Human gasped, tried to put a hand over her lips. The chuckling Kakkhanadori prevented her.

'Yes, telepathy, dear,' he informed her. 'We'll have to watch our thoughts if we don't want them heard.'

'Wha—' Catherine's response died a quick death after being born, for Kakkhanadori's mouth gently alighted onto hers. The kiss, slow and light though it was, managed to completely rob her of all thought and ability to think.

'Oh,' she sighed both aloud and telepathically when Kakkhanadori finally allowed her to breathe. The Saiyan smiled, tenderly and not a little gratefully; it occurred to her then that this was the most consciously open and unworriedly relaxed she had ever seen Kakkhanadori be.

'Yes,' said person responded. His smile widened in proportion to the widening of her eyes. _'_You_ are my mate, after all,'_ he continued aloud. _'There's no one else I would trust with the real me.' _

Catherine swallowed. The magnitude of Kakkhanadori's trust struck her then; a light peck on her lips broke her short reverie.

'_I'm going to get changed,'_ the source of the kiss announced. The Saiyan finally permitted his arms to fall away from Catherine's waist, although Catherine did not release his neck in return.

'_Why?'_ she asked, or tried to—it came out as 'Why?' instead. Kakkhanadori chuckled again.

'You'll need to focus on opening your mouth to speak,' he advised her. 'You'll feel silly, probably, for a while, but eventually you'll get it.' _'As for why I'm changing, I'm going in to report to the DK HQ. I didn't do it yesterday, so I'm going to do it today. They're probably wondering why I haven't shown up yet.' _

'_They're expecting you to report in so soon?'_ Catherine asked aloud (inwardly proud of herself for the effort).

Kakkhanadori, while rummaging through his dresser for his clothes, replied over his shoulder: _'It's a full eighteen hours after the incident. That's not soon. Other Keepers have probably already reported.' _

Catching her look when he turned, his face softened. _'This is part of the life of a Keeper, dear heart. Don't worry, I'll be fine.' _

Catherine surprised even herself. _'I'm coming with you anyway.'_ Kakkhanadori looked at her, but she saw the thought behind his eyes. _'Don't worry, I'm not going to make a habit of this.' _

The smile returned. _'You're just going to insist whatever I say,'_ he stated wryly. _'But it's just this _one time_,'_ he stipulated sternly, a distant star in his eyes. _'More events like this one will happen; I can't have you following me like a stray puppy to every Keeper reporting like this one. Understand?'_

Catherine came very close to pouting at the "stray puppy" analogy. Just for that, she decided to tease him a little; her hands untied her bathrobe belt. Immediately Kakkhanadori turned away, ordered flatly, _'Leave,'_ and pointed to the door. The room closed on Catherine's apologies.

:-:-:-:

'_Well, Legendary,'_ the Psyche Healer the Keeper authorities had assigned to him commented weeks later, _'it appears you are doing very well after the incident. Did you meditate immediately afterwards?' _

'_I did,'_ Kakkhanadori replied. He opened his eyes to the neutral-colored tones of Psyche Healer Aruto Aruzuri's office. _'Should I not have?'_

'_Oh, no, you are in excellent condition. You say you had no nightmares afterwards, but meditation alone is not enough to bleed the excess negative energy from such an event.' _

'_The Lady Ki Breaker stayed with me last night; she had experience in draining the negative energy of nightmares.' _

'_Does she suffer nightmares herself when she drains these energies?' _Aruzuri inquired, sounding disinterested as always. Kakkhanadori did not allow the tone to affect him; the disinterested as part of the Psyche Healer's training.

'_I believe she does not,'_ he answered.

'_Hm. Well, it may explain the surge of energy the Demon Dimension received several weeks ago, then, for the Lady Ki Breaker may have passed it on. Interesting skill of hers, that. There may be quite a few uses for it, not all of them geared towards healing.' _

'_If you say so, Psyche Healer.' _

Aruzuri glanced at him sidelong. _'Do not worry, I do not intend to act upon my suppositions, Legendary Lord. I do not interfere in the lives of City Residents except to where their psyches are at stake. You may lower your hackles.' _

The vaguely insectoid Groche waited calmly until Kakkhanadori had, indeed, lowered his hackles, then leaned forward.

'_Speaking of psyches, Legendary, did you know that yours is not normal for your species?' _

:-:-:-:

A/n: (Gapes) I cannot believe how close we are getting to the end of this epic! I have, I believe, six chapters left to go, and so much happens in them! Wow.

I hope you all knew what was going on during the line: _"'But it's just this _one time_,'_ he stipulated sternly, a distant star in his eyes." In case you don't, well, I'll explain it to you. Remember during either Kakkhan I or Kakkhan II (can't remember which) when Gohan/Menrui had a sparkle in his eyes, and Kakkhan had a sparkle that was more hidden? This is the same thing, which I hope means something to you, because it means something to me. I'm not telling you what it is, and it'll probably mean something else to you anyway. That's perfectly all right, and in no way should it make you worry that you'll miss something. You won't.

Allati: It'll be pretty obvious--

Shshsh! No spoiling, museling!

Allati: Sorry, authoress. (Abashed)

S'okay, Allati. We'll just move the readers on to the sneak preview. (Grins evilly)

:-:-:-:

SNEAK PREVIEW OF: Foreboding

Despite the brusque tone Kakkhanadori used, Yoki remained grinning. Such was the Grim Reaper's customary way of interacting with Kakkhanadori, but the Saiyan narrowed his eyes. The eyes themselves blinked when Yoki announced, _'Destiny.'_

:-:-:-:

Thanks to **Lov3the3vil** for reviewing! Wow, a record of only one review! I feel soooo loved. Hmpf.

Ciao, from

**TheShadowPanther** and Allati, from **AASN**

**AASN;** Writing is what we do for you at **AASN**. Enjoy.

_Updated 06.25.08  
_


	19. Chapter Eighteen: Foreboding

**Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper **

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha!

_Warnings: Graphic Violence and Chapter Shortness _

Chapter Eighteen: Foreboding

What had that Psyche Healer meant when he said it wasn't normal for an inner core to reside within its host's mind? Didn't everyone have something like that? Menrui certainly had had a similar arrangement. Why should he, Kakkhanadori, be any different?

According to Aruzuri, it was usual for _'a core to occupy half of a soul; the soul is the proper location for such an essential part of oneself. To have a core intrude upon half of one's mind...' _The Healer had gone on to say he had suspicions about the significance of such a discrepancy, but without further research he could not possibly reveal his thoughts and call himself a proper Psyche Healer. Just the fact that Kakkhanadori was aware of the discrepancy was a possible factor of compromise.

After saying the last, the Groche had then escorted the Legendary Lord to the door, promising contact at the earliest signs of a "breakthrough". As if Kakkhanadori's state of mind was a disease.

'_Psyche Healers.'_ Kakkhanadori grumbled. He shook his head.

'"_Lo, Legendary,'_ Inu's voice greeted. Kakkhanadori looked down at the dog then up at the grinning Yoki atop Yoko.

'_What do you want, Yoki?'_

Despite the brusque tone Kakkhanadori used, Yoki remained grinning. Such was the Grim Reaper's customary way of interacting with Kakkhanadori, but the Saiyan narrowed his eyes. The eyes themselves blinked when Yoki announced, _'Destiny.'_

'_Destiny? What does He want with me now?' _came out of his mouth. The clop of Yoko's hooves rang into the air; the softer click of Inu's paws and his own footsteps shortly followed, though they were nearly indistinguishable in the hullabaloo. Kakkhanadori sighed again, annoyed at Yoki's reticence and the inu akuma's herding, but dutifully schooled his face into a blank mask.

Soon the Basilica Vitae loomed above him, majestic as always, and a portal swirled.

'_On with ye,'_ Yoki commanded. At Kakkhanadori's look, he added, _'We were only the messengers, milord. The words Destiny has are for you alone.'_ InuYasha pushed the Saiyan into the portal before he could question why the Deity hadn't just Summoned him.

This time the yellow-eyed Deity sat upon His throne when Kakkhanadori arrived. Instantly a smirk snaked over the narrow face; Kakkhanadori realized he had not shifted his eyes to the side—

'_Ahh, yes,'_ the Deity drawled, rising from His seat gracefully. _'My sister has done excellently on you. Well done, sister.' _

Kakkhanadori watched Him descend the stairs with deliberate movements. He blinked, and the Deity stood directly in front of him, yellow eyes boring, smirk widening. The Saiyan held the gaze, anger steadying his perceived insolence now that that he'd started. Slowly, his hand clenched at his side as his white emanation flared ever so slightly.

Destiny smiled. _''Tis not against me you need to draw that blade, Immortal,'_ He stated lazily, _'though I certainly wouldn't mind if you tried.'_

Laughter bounced off the walls as Kakkhanadori's hands created nothing. His Blade still refused to draw for him. His Spirit power rose easily enough to the surface, but the form of the powerful sword did not coalesce.

'_Don't worry,'_ Lord Destiny smirked. _'The Blade will come in time. Now, several friends of yours are looking for you. We mustn't disappoint them, Immortal, so _you_ are dismissed.' _

Kakkhanadori bowed, no more or less deeply than was required of him, and turned to go.

:-:-:-:

Though it was midmorning when the Basilica Vitae saw him depart, the rest of the day seemed to simply melt by. Before he knew it, Kakkhanadori was striding down Wanderlands Way, exhaustion plain upon his features. Though he technically should have been already at Gaits Lanaid, he Knew he had to be at Tenna's apartment that night.

It was a mark of his fatigue that he wondered why. Surely neither Tenna nor Catherine was doing anything that needed him at this hour? Kakkhanadori sighed. Whether he was needed or not, he had to be there, and that was that. If whatever they had for them went long, he'd likely sleep at their place.

He blinked. How had he gotten to Tenna's door so quickly? The last he'd looked around, he was still outside of the Seren Wanderlands. He shook his head. Even if he had lived in the City for five years, it still occasionally sprung something new on him; he supposed that if he wasn't so tired that facet of City life would be appealing to him. Right now all he wanted to do was sleep.

Several thocks of his hand upon the door had it opening; a black-topped head and a black eye peered out. The owner of the head and the eye called his name and opened the door wide, but weariness had such a hold of him by this point Kakkhanadori could not care.

Instead he could only feel relief when he was taken ahold of by four arms, hauled into the entryway, and frog-marched to the couch. He barely noticed anything other than the insides of his eyelids as his shoes, coat, and vest were removed, softness met his head and some cloth stretched over his length. The dizzy undertow of sleep pulled him under just as something touched his lips...

The Sleep demon did not allow him to wonder what that something was.

:-:-:-:

As usual, Kakkhanadori woke an hour before dawn. A precious minute had him blinking in disorientation, then the tale of his whereabouts and how he reached them reoccurred to him. Grunting in recognition, he sat up. Immediately springs creaked underneath him, startling him out of rubbing his face, then startling chuckles out of him as he realized exactly whence the creaks came.

Half an hour later, he had retrieved his clothes, settled food into his belly, and scribed a note for the two residents of the apartment. He was out of the building a bare minute later and striding briskly towards the Basilica Officii.

He could have taken Subayaku out and shortened his journey that much more, but something within him wanted to enjoy the sights and sounds of the City, the crush of people about even this early, and that undertone sensation of liveliness that seemed unique to the Demon Dimension. Breathing deeply, he increased the length of his stride as an internal clock warned him of impending lateness...

'_Legendary Lord!'_ someone shrieked as soon as he stepped through his portal. _'You're safe!'_

'_Yes,'_ Kakkhanadori answered steadily. The Keeper who had addressed him heard what he did not say, however, or rather did not ask.

'_There was an explosive device planted underneath your house yesterday. The Knowledge of this only came when the first Keepers arrived this morning, but your location was not disclosed with this Knowledge, or, indeed, whether you were alive or...incapacitated.' _

Kakkhanadori looked at the Keeper, Llennara. Bowing his head at the composure he saw in her, he intoned, _'I thank you for your concern. It seems Foreknowledge has saved me last night, as it has saved me on countless other times.' _

Llennara bowed her acceptance of his words. She had been an intern until only yesterday, Kakkhanadori remembered; yesterday had been the graduation of passing interns to full-fledged Keepers. The Paladin was allowed to be nervy still, then.

Turning from her to the Technicians, Kakkhanadori detected the same relief upon their faces. However, Jojo, Khatun, and Aleil were too professional to allow a matter merely life-threatening to faze them: Within minutes they had issued him his orders and pointed out the correct portal. Turning upon his heel, Kakkhanadori pushed aside all feelings that Llennara the Paladin's news may have resulted in. The portal took him in and gorged him out _into a familiar scene of impending battle. _

_Automatically settling his hand upon his weapon, Kakkhanadori readied himself for the actions he would need to perform: The swipe and slash of his sword into flesh and bone, the dodging of an inexpertly (or expertly, as the case may be) wielded weapons, and the turning away from dead foes to live ones..._

"You're here,"_ someone grunted behind him. _"Good."

_Kakkhanadori turned and nodded a salute to H'dan, now an equivalent to a Major of this particular Druid army rather than only a Company Lieutenant. Despite the promotion, H'dan looked much the same and acted likewise. _

_As the Druid turned and bellowed orders to the army he commanded, Kakkhanadori rocked to the balls of his feet and made himself oblivious to the wary stares of those who were obviously recruits. _

_They marched as soon as H'dan's upraised arm fell. _

_The first Fay Kakkhanadori reached was the last he ever really saw. Brown eyes, blue hair in a high ponytail, clothes of camouflage similar to her indifferent face, the Fay was an elite swordsman, and recognized as such._

_He used no more than two strokes to tear her apart. _

_After the first swordswoman, he saw not faces but only the places he would hit next. An uplifted arm here granted him access to the ribs; the lowered sword here would not be able to lift in time to protect the neck. He nimbly jumped over an ankle-breaking swipe and killed the fool with the audacity to attempt it._

_Another solider, this a guardsman by the clothes alone, howled at him from behind. Having advertised his position in so stupid a manner, Kakkhanadori corrected the Fay's mistake with a brutal reverse of his sword and an accompanying whirl to send the enemy's head flying._

_An undefended shoulder greeted him next; said shoulder said farewell to its neighbor the neck as the collarbone bridging them collapsed into two. The gash starting from this collarbone would end at the waist...on the opposite side. _

_A throat graciously crushed itself underneath his blade as he passed; his strength dented the gray-capped skull of another body. He had to parry and dance with the next corpse, but it too bowed to his power. _

_A cut; he looked to his left. Shortly afterwards, he gazed to his right. Gurgling from both sides followed him as he ducked a blow from in front and forced the source to whirl onto the blade of one of its own comrades. That comrade died from a blow by a Druid, but Kakkhanadori did not see it, only the hole in a different gut he'd created by drawing his blade out of it. _

_Pivoting on one foot, he booted the gutted Fay down and stalked over it to the frozen Fay behind it. He passed her without a glance, but her head separated from her neck quite obligingly. _

_The next three were not so obliging, but he dealt with them quickly. Ganging up on him would not work, nor would individual engagements. Kakkhanadori had transformed into a raging torrent of action, swirling clothes, and flashes of blood-spattering metal, but his mind and his gaze remained clear, distantly and lethally clear. _

_He had made it to the edges of the sea of Fay, if such was believable, with a trench of bodies in his wake. Standing still as no more corpses flung themselves at him, Kakkhanadori breathed out once, deeply, as if the prior business had been just that: business. Lifting his head slowly, the Saiyan steadily met the ocean-blue eyes of the only Fay he'd ever exchanged friendly words with—even if his words had been part of a momentous deceit. _

"_I knew this day would come," the guardsman who had stood outside of Philemon's door with him said. His tone and stance were solemn, though his swarthy face betrayed nothing. Kakkhanadori corrected himself: That face was, on second glance, morose. _

"_I knew it, and that you would be after my charge once again. He is rather important for our side, after all." _

_A quick glance towards a muffled sound revealed to Kakkhanadori a sight vaguely familiar. Brown eyes and brown hair in a terrified human face struck something in him, a memory half-hovering... He returned his gaze to the guardsman. _

_The guardsman who appeared pained. "I know I cannot stop you," he began. "I shall not even try. But, please, can you not spare the child? He has...something inside of him he does not like coming out. Can you not kill me out of his sight?" _

_Kakkhanadori did not respond. _

_The guardsman straightened. "Very well. If that is the way my fate has been decreed." He turned, quick as lightning, and scrambled over the stones behind him, but Kakkhanadori was quicker. Reaching the stones himself, he whirled and struck down the Fay, barely missing the face as he sliced into the torso. The deepest part of the slice pierced the heart and broke through the ribs on the far side; the momentum of the sword sent it point-first into the ground. _

_The guardsman gazed up at him with equal measures of shock and inexplicable betrayal, but fainted from his knees onto his face before anything explaining the latter emotion could be said._

_Kakkhanadori straightened. Drawing a rag from his overcoat, he carefully cleaned Tapheth's weapon, silently giving it thanks for a thankless vocation. He kept an eye on the boy creeping out from his hiding place and over to the Fay's body. Grief had interesting ways of affecting people, he mused. As one who had passed the last five years in voluntary self-exclusion, he knew what he spoke of..._

_His eye drifted down to the pendant swinging to and from around the boy's neck. Instantly he snapped his attention back to the face, which was turning slowly up to him..._

_Kakkhanadori had scarcely seen the black void of the other's eyes before he sprang back and seized his sword. As he cleared the blade of its sheath, the child rose to his feet, clenching his fingers. Suddenly a teal-blue weapon appeared in them while noiseless words rolled through the air: _

**Wyre's Breath Spirit Glaive.**

_Three strikes later, it was over. _

:-:-:-:

A/n: (Peeks out from underneath desk) Er, don't kill me? Please? I know that this chapter is really short...

Allati: Authoress, I don't think that's what the readers are angry about.

(Gulps) I know, Allati. I was trying to distract them.

Allati: Oh. Sorry. (To readers) Be distracted!

(Smiles weakly) Thanks, muse. (Swallows) But I think I'm going to have to face the music. (Straightens) Right, hit me. (Gapes at suddenly silent readers) Uh-oh...

Allati: RUN, AUTHORESS!

What a good idea, muse! I knew I kept you around for a good reason! (Flees)

:-:-:-:

SNEAK PREVIEW OF: Transmutation

"_Hi," said the girl who'd shouted at them earlier. "I'm Inoue Midori. These are my friends Sumeragi Keiko and Kunisada Tsubasa." The girl and boy sitting with her gave cursory nods. _

:-:-:-:

Thanks to **Lov3the3vil** for reviewing! (Glomp)

Sayonara,

**TheShadowPanther** and Allati, from **AASN**

**AASN;** Writing is what we do for you at **AASN**. Enjoy.

_Updated_ _07.10.08_


	20. Chapter Nineteen: Transmutation

**Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper **

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha!

Early A/n: Some passages in this chapter (and one line last chapter) are supposed to be bold AND underlined. Due to the faults of QuickEdit, they refuse to show up. If you wish to see them as they are supposed to be, PM me and I'll send it to you with all persnickety happiness.

Chapter Nineteen: Transmutation

_As he fell, Kakkhanadori saw time slow down. Hundreds of images flew at him and by him, bombarding him at a speed too fast to handle. Abruptly he recognized one of the images; it instantly shifted until he was _in_ it—_

:-:-:-:

A chubby three-fingered blue creature apologized profusely while Kakkhan blinked dazedly on the sterile floor of the Tiara. One of those peculiar hands reached out to pull him from the floor... Still dazed, Earthling two-year-old Kakkhan accepted it and felt his body rise from the floor. The ceiling came closer than before, the floor resumed its proper distance away, and he was staring into the oval-shaped face, topped by scraggly ginger-blond hair, of his rescuer.

**I'm so sorry, **the creature said again.** Forgive me?** Kakkhan nodded; his wits were beginning to come back to him. The blue-skinned being grinned happily and pumped the hand he still held. **Great!** he cried. **My name's Balannon the Gorthan. What's yours?**

**Kakkhan the Saiyan, **Kakkhan responded. **Nice to meet you.**

:-:-:-:

A small girl, about five years old, with midnight-purple hair and smiling grey eyes, tugged on the sleeve of a man possessing the same hair color. She inquired after the location of her mama, but the man only wrenched his arm away. It would be a woman with a rough voice that would explain to her that her mama had gone away. Mama wouldn't be coming back, the woman explained, but she was still watching over her daughter and would for forever.

The girl had no idea what the woman meant when she muttered, "How selfish of her, to commit suicide just when she is needed most..."

:-:-:-:

Kakkhan, nine Giendonese years old,laughed while swirls of power eddied into him, while his fire-bright aura turned goldenrod. His blood pounded with the rush of the new ki levels he'd just acquired; he felt light on his feet and wholly unconnected with anything he didn't want to associate with. Strong, fast, and unbound, Kakkhan felt invincible. Nothing could take him down, and nothing could govern him unless he allowed it.

The sight of his master Aslib quickly turned the invincibility into a need for asserting his dominance. With the same smile as before, Kakkhan stepped toward the Isth'riank!oh-jin (who wouldn't be much of a challenge, considering how well he knew his master's fighting style), and raised his eyes.

He gasped in shock at the naked fear he saw. In the blink of an eye, Kakkhan dropped the threads of ki he'd gathered and fled the room. Super Saiyan Two, he thought distantly. How would he ever manage to fit in if even Aslib was afraid of him?

:-:-:-:

A girl strongly resembling the small girl yelled at the man with the small girl's hair color, whose name was Isoroku. Uno, the girl who yelled, was promptly slapped, but this time (unlike the last time) it was not at Isoroku's hand, but instead the hand of an utterly-plain looking woman previously sitting next to him.

This was Ruriko, Isoroku's soon-to-be-second-wife and Uno's and her stepmother. While Uno was bodily carried out of the room, Ruriko turned upon the other girl sitting quietly in the room and stated in cold terms that Uno's punishment would be her punishment if she ever disobeyed or disrespected her father, was that understood?

The girl, eight years old by this time, nodded slowly.

:-:-:-:

Two boys of the same age but drastically different visages stared up at him. One boy had lavender hair and blue eyes the same as his mother's; the other was the quintessential clone of his father down to the stray strand of hair poking out of his head and the perpetually innocent expression upon his face. Both gazed up at him with smiles in their eyes and mouths.

Kakkhan couldn't help but return the smiles, however slight his own was in comparison to theirs. Bending down to pick them up (and remove their strong fingers from their grip on his pants legs), he instinctively placed them on his hips. As the toddlers grasped at his shirt for balance, he whispered to them, "Don't worry, little brothers, I'll protect you."

:-:-:-:

Kakkhan threw a chastising glance at Gohan as the latter lagged behind him. "It's just a couple of humans, Menrui," he said to supplement the glance. "What can be so hard about going over to say hello to them?"

Gohan just shook his head. "You don't understand," he muttered. "I haven't talked to humans like them since the Androids—"

"Hey!" one of the humans called. "You going to sit with us or not?" Throwing another glance at the sagging Gohan, Kakkhan shouted back, "We're coming!" and trudged over to the table, his reluctant soul-twin in tow.

"Hi," said the girl who'd shouted at them earlier. "I'm Inoue Midori. These are my friends Sumeragi Keiko and Kunisada Tsubasa." The girl and boy sitting with her gave cursory nods.

"We're Tairyoku Kakkhan and Menrui," Kakkhan returned. "We're twins."

:-:-:-:

The young woman (she was an adolescent now), gasped loudly in the corner of a tiny and dingy room, her uniform torn open into tatters. A few feet away from her lay the twitching body of a twenty-ish man, his face contorted and rapidly growing ashen. Ki flowed from him into the girl, but the teenager did not seem to be able to stop the flow. Instead, after the ki ceased naturally, she fainted.

:-:-:-:

Smallas she was, it was a wonder she was alive, Kakkhan thought in wonder of the creature flailing in the incubation tube. Son Chokiiro Yukiko had already proved she was a fighter, causing her mother fourteen hours of labor and three days of recovery. Kakkhan shuddered to remember the endless screams not only of the enraged Chichi, but also the harassed Goku and the whimpering Goten. Yet despite all this, Chokiiro was so amazing and miraculous... Kakkhan's heart could never be the same.

:-:-:-:

Come graduation, the young woman knew, Isoroku would request that she leave. Her father would not disown her, no, but she was as unwelcome as Uno with the baby Noboru growing up. Come next month, she would be forced to live with her sister, who already had so much on her plate. It wasn't fair, but that was the way it was.

:-:-:-:

Paralysis possessed him, rendered him helpless. He watched with wide, despairing eyes as the globe of light in his core completely ripped through his mindscape. It shattered everything it touched; ragged pieces of black fluttered weakly in its wake. Kakkhan could feel his thinking processes disrupt; he struggled faintly against his bonds, his immovable bonds—but this only attracted the attention of the globe of light, his inner core...

He screamed his way awake, cutting off the rapid advance the orb of light made towards him in the last few seconds of sleep. Instinctively he sent out a pulse along the mental link he shared with Menrui, but he found himself rebuffed almost instantaneously—

Of course, Kakkhan realized. His brother was still out with Nanao-chan. It hit him then just how far Menrui had left him behind; hard to imagine that once upon a time his twin had been a traumatized and insecure kid of eleven years old with no family and no future to look forward to. Now he had grown up and forged his own life, one that didn't seem to have Kakkhan in it—

He shut his eyes against the loneliness that barraged him.

:-:-:-:

The plum-haired woman was a fine figure, curved in exactly the right places and proportioned just right. Nothing was too big or too small, and it helped that she knew exactly how to dress to accentuate her assets. Nevertheless, it wasn't her figure that drew Kakkhanadori.

No, the understanding in her eyes lured him in, that and the words she bent to whisper in his ear: _'How lonely you are, Legendary Lord. Won't you tell me what has your beautiful eyes so sad?'_

He swayed towards that voice, those smooth tones. It was ambrosia, he thought indistinctly, for a soul so torn as his was. A different kind of voice brought his eyes upward to see Tenna Athenike, a new "acquaintance" of his (but who was really assigned to keep an eye on him), stare worriedly at him and Vorízentai the Valkyrie. He couldn't imagine why, he felt soothed for the first time since...

:-:-:-:

The young woman had done it now. It would be impossible for Isoroku to tolerate her now, even if he had been inclined to favor her before. Her father would disown her, Saito would keep coming after her, Akihito and Uno were already trying so hard to support her...

She needed help, the woman would readily admit. She just never expected it in the form of a dream visit by a vaguely remembered aura...

:-:-:-:

The woman stood frozen amidst a throng of movement as beside her a man of her age spoke in a distinctly deep voice to either the stocky female-seeming Humanoid or the snarling, hulking dog on his other side. She shuddered as that voice crept down her spine and collected languidly at its base. Ki gravitated towards her, ki whose fringes she unthinkingly grasped at the outer edges of, sighed in relief as much-needed energy and warmth immediately suffused her.

Abruptly, the woman moved into the crowd before her. She'd found the Demon Dimension, and him along with it. Now she needed to find out how to survive in it.

:-:-:-:

Realizing that it was Kakkhanadori that Vorízentai was essentially raping, the Valkyrie's spell was broken. Sexual power was not what the woman wanted, not if it meant this. He already meant so much to her; if he left because of something she'd done... She'd rather have his eternal friendship than to destroy his opinion of her in a few short seconds.

Skittering out of her seat, the woman bumped into something. She found that something to be Kakkhanadori and could not help but be grateful.

The woman's gratitude only increased when Kakkhanadori stayed by her in her mind until he knew she was safe. How could she not help but fall in love with him, when he did things like that?

:-:-:-:

It was when he found himself taking in the details of Catherine's glamour and comparing it to the picture he had of her real face that he knew something was going on. What it was, he had no idea—

Catherine turned her head at that exact moment. Black eyes met his for a second before they ducked away. A blush tracked across her features, which he found endearing and even a little cute. But it was the half-pleased, half-confused look in those eyes which convinced him.

Somewhere, somehow, Kakkhanadorisainkai, Legendary Lord, had fallen—and fallen hard—for the Lady Ki Breaker, Watanabe Catherine.

Feeling his lips curling, he returned to his book. Somehow he had a feeling that his feelings weren't unrequited.

:-:-:-:

The woman stumbled from the veranda of Kakkhanadori's beautiful Earthling house, her mind reeling. Kakkhanadori was an Immortal? And he'd never told her about it? She'd been worried so many times about if Kakkhan would return in one piece, she'd lost sleep for so many nights—it was too much. She had to get out of here.

The woman wandered around the City for several hours, losing herself in the various sights and sensations. Such meanderings did wonders for her, soothing her heart and permitting her to once again think rationally. By the time she redirected her steps to Gaits Lanaid, she had resolved to tell Kakkhanadori to be careful, that she would still worry.

After all, there was always something that could undermine Immortality. She just hoped—nay, prayed—that the sundry scenes her imagination conjured up would never come to pass.

:-:-:-:

They collapsed down upon each other into a sweaty tangle of naked skin and muscle that was exhausted and yet so gratified—

Kakkhanadori thought that his horrible day of Psyche Healers, Destiny, and unsatisfying odd jobs that had ultimately ended up at Tenna and Catherine's place—well, it had been worth it. Yes, he thought, looking sleepily down at the peaceful features Gikuko (he couldn't think of her as Catherine anymore, it was such an ugly name for such a beautiful woman) possessed, very much worth it. He shifted a little, then yawned mightily. Curling a hand around his mate—yes, his mate—Kakkhanadori allowed his head to tip back onto the pillow and the compulsion of sleep to take him over.

When he woke, it took him a little bit to recognize his surroundings. Even then, it took the unexpected creaking of springs to tell him exactly where he was. Chuckling, he worked his legs out from underneath Gikuko's, swung said legs over the bed, and stood. He resisted the urge to kiss his mate on the forehead, instead settling for tucking some of that striking midnight purple hair behind one ear. If he had kissed her, Kakkhanadori knew, she would have instantly woken up—she had done so before. He wanted to let her sleep in, especially after such a night as they'd shared just last night.

Instead, he pulled his clothes on and headed out into the living room and the kitchen to make himself some food and to write a note for both Gikuko and Tenna.

:-:-:-:

_The last memory triggered his consciousness. Frantically, he reached for the bond he'd only just consummated. The bond reacted eagerly to his summons, leaping like a dog to its master. He seized at it and sent his feelings down the soul-link he shared with Gikuko, pumping them in several at a time until he came to the one he _really_ wanted to communicate—_

_Capturing that emotion, he squeezed, balled, and forced it into the shape of words, hoping against hope that this would work. He could feel the end coming near, and only one thing would be able to save him from it. Opening the bond wide, he thrust the reckless message into it and sped it through as quickly as he could—_

_Only this could save from the spirit-death the Spirit Glaive thrust upon him, and all it comprised of was the four words: _Gikuko, I love you_—_

_He thudded to the ground at the same time his desperate message bounced off of impossibly impervious barriers. _

No..._ he screamed desperately, despair striking through him and instantly sinking him in a darkness he'd hoped he'd never have to confront again. _

_In this darkness, however, he became...nothing. He felt nothing, saw nothing, heard nothing, smelled nothing, tasted nothing, knew absolutely _nothing_—and that enabled him to let go—of everything. _

_When he did, the body of that person called Kakkhanadorisainkai, Legendary Lord, instantly transformed._

:-:-:-:

He rose from the ground, a puddle of white flowing up into a column that solidified into his form, and straightened. Lightening eyes—black bleeding from the irises and pupils in a slow crawl—regarded the landscape presented to him, but showed no flavor of the thoughts behind them as they roved. The body turned, still garbed in its blood-drenched uniform of the Druids, and one limb settled itself on the sheath emptily hanging at the waist. Jet black strands of hair swept away from his head in a naturally gravity-defying style, exposing a face as inflection-less as the eyes.

He blinked, once, emotionlessly.

In the few seconds/minutes/hours/years/decades/centuries/millennia since his body had first established contact with the ground, much had happened. The changed child had darted off and was cleaving his way through the masses even more quickly than he himself had, but paying no attention whatsoever to race. Whether Druid or Fay, the human-who-was-quickly-becoming-_not_-human indiscriminately cut them down, a snarl permanently etched upon its rapidly darkening face.

However, it was not the swathe of bodies even larger than his that had him vaguely interested in the child. Replacing the sword into the sheath (paying no heed to the separation of the blade from its hilt) he sprung from a crouch into a light run—

—which increased in speed as he finally saw where the child was heading. He bounded now, much as a deer in flight does, and concentrated fiercely on himself, or a part of himself that had been refused him for so long...

His speed became such that the scenery blurred. Soon he was only several meters behind the child—who was not a child any longer—and clutching the hilt of his sword tightly.

"_H'dan!"_ he roared, his voice booming heavily over the sounds of screams, clashing swords, and dying bodies, _"Watch to your left!" _

The Druid spared his warning a quick glance, but not any longer as a down-swipe of his foe's war mallet nearly debilitated him. The Fay, the father of the Prince Kakkhanadori had killed long ago—Lelex Rex—and close friend to High Councilor Philemon, snarled down at H'dan. His spring-grass green eyes were hot with anger and bloodlust; such emotions lent an added advantage to his desperate attacks upon the enemy he finally had a chance to avenge himself upon.

He spared no such glance for the rushing figures almost upon them.

The child-not-a-child leapt into the air, its snarl matching Daedalus Rex's, and swung his glaive down—

**Chana's Mirror Spirit Blade.**

The sword slid from its scabbard easily, its white blade stretching almost of its own will towards the blackening blade of the Spirit Naginata and meeting in a clash of momentous energy—

Eyes now colorless, the irises distinguishable from the whites and pupil only by dint of faint lines, met gaping black holes, and he grinned nastily at the face identical to his own in every other respect.

**I've found you now, Menruizerdasainkai, Prince of Puzzles…and Eternal Deity of Darkness**, announced Kakkhanadorisainkai, Legendary Lord, Eternal Deity of Light.

:-:-:-:

A/n: (Gawks)

Allati: (Gawks)

(In unison) **WHAT?!**

:-:-:-:

SNEAK PREVIEW OF: Confrontation

The regal bowing of a Manticore alerted the ranks; shortly, the usually frenetic High Market became silent as the frantic customers quieted and sank to their knees. Not one person said anything to the Eternal Deities, not one, except for a Winged Unicorn who proclaimed, in a bell-like voice:

:-:-:-:

Thanks to **Lov3the3vil** for reviewing! Hope this isn't too much of a cliffie, ha ha!

Ciao,

**TheShadowPanther** and Allati, from **AASN**

**AASN;** Writing is what we do for you at **AASN**. Enjoy.

_Updated 07.20.08_


	21. Chapter Twenty: Confrontation

**Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper **

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha!

A/n: See beginning a/n of last chapter for a persnickety person's rant.

_Warnings: Cursing from a Highly Unexpected Source_

Chapter Twenty: Confrontation

He straightened again as Menruizerdasainkai, his twin now in every shape, form, and aspect—except for his eyes and weapon of choice—stumbled back, gaping at him wordlessly. The Eternal Deity of Light grinned again to see his counterpart so taken aback, but made no move to resume fighting.

Unlike the two fighters behind him, but Kakkhanadorisainkai cared less about them now that the ultimate goal he'd waited forever and three weeks for had finally been attained. Menruizerdasainkai had broken out of his prison of a pendant, which had been carefully engineered to detain his soul when he broke free from his host, and was even now standing before him struggling to regain his legendary wits.

Kakkhanadorisainkai supposed he could allow his counterpart to do so—he had, after all, been an unthinking, raging creature without restraint only moments before. Being locked away in the pendant as he had been for six years could not have helped matters any (even if six years was literally a blink of an eye to Eternal Deities such as Menruizerdasainkai and himself).

On the other hand, the second part of his ultimate goal had fallen neatly into place not long afterwards, as his own host struggled not to die, but failed. It was only after the dear mortal had finally—_finally_—relinquished control that he, Kakkhanadorisainkai, could take over.

Even to the end, Son Gohan Eiranos Jandelen Tairyoku Kakkhan, Legendary Lord, Dimension Keeper, Saiyan and Immortal (after a fashion), had been stubborn.

What a hard-assed bastard he'd been.

Still, Kakkhanadorisainkai chuckled, that was why he'd picked him. That was why he loved him, why he continued to use the host body even now. For, although there were times when one had to let go—even his host had succumbed to that implacable eventuality—that day wasn't now, not yet. He needed the marginal cover the host body could lend him until it no longer served him, and then he'd discard it.

But he'd not discard the host personality, not as long as it still had its impression on him, not as long as the personality's ties to this universe—the thousands of ties and thousands of universes—still existed.

The displacement of air in front of him alerted Kakkhanadorisainkai again into reality. He grinned slyly at the relaxed stance Menruizerdasainkai presented to him—or as relaxed as _he_ could ever be—and at the resignation in the other's face.

**Yes, Menruizerda?** he drawled, slinging his Spirit Blade over his shoulder. **You 'ave something to say? **

**I should have known something was amiss,** Menruizerda commented idly, as if speaking about the weather (which was dismal in this dimension, but who cared about that?). **I should have known you would not consciously betray me.**

**Consciously?** Kakkhanadori feigned hurt. **You of all people should know me better than that.** He allowed his sly grin to break out when Menruizerda's answer was only an upraised eyebrow. **You 'aven't changed, Eternal Deity. **

**Nor have you,** the Darkness retorted (semi-fondly). **Still a scoundrel and a sneak, even six hundred years later.**

**Ergh, that long?** Kakkhanadori wrinkled his nose. **I don't think I appreciate knowing I'm that old.**

**You were "old" even when we parted, Light.** Menruizerda permitted his Spirit Naginata to disappear; Kakkhanadori followed after a moment (rolling his eyes at his counterpart's repartee). Nevertheless, he could, and did, rightfully remind the Dark Eternal:

**You're as old as I am. Ol**_**der**_**, even. So don't give me that "'old' when we parted" crap. **

Menruizerdasainkai only laughed. As the sound resonated outwards, the forms of H'dan and Daedalus Rex slumped to the ground, halberd and mallet embedded into one another. Their glares glazed over in death, but even so, they remained fiercely affixed upon each other's faces; not even the Grim Reaper's realm could shake this force of nature, this aspect of mutual hatred.

A chill wind swept over the land following this and Menruizerda's laugh, and light seemed to have abandoned the land—oh, Kakkhanadori had just stepped through a portal that Menruizerda had created with a single flick of his finger. When Menruizerda followed, and the portal closed, the world re-aligned itself with the proper colors, but rain started to fall.

This rain, torrential and stinging, coated the land, carting the blood from the scene in rivers of red, soaking the bodies of survivors and the dead alike, and forcing the remaining fighters to retreat. Daedalus Rex's face appeared as it were crying, howling, really, finally mourning the death of his only child, Lelex Rex, as it never had in life. H'dan's face was stoic, the rain and dark lighting softening his features into a statue's visage of dispassionate judgment.

These faces would only be discovered hours later, when scavengers and soldiers alike sifted through the dead. Even then, no one would take care to notice these particulars, only knowing that they were both dead and that the world would never be the same.

:-:-:-:

Even They felt the effects of Their arrival into the Demon Dimension. Suddenly everything became brighter, livelier, and cleaner. A pollution previously unseen lifted; pressures and anxieties encased in the hearts of City Residents eased. Wondering about this sudden release, heads swiveled and eyes roved; for all their conspicuity, the Eternal Deities were not immediately noticed.

The regal bowing of a Manticore alerted the rank and file; shortly, the usually frenetic High Market became silent as the frantic customers quieted and sank to their knees. Not one person said anything to the Eternal Deities, not one, except for a Winged Unicorn who proclaimed, in a bell-like voice:

'_Welcome to the Demon Dimension, Your Eternal Deities of Light and Darkness.'_

The Winged Unicorn obviously felt the twin gazes of Menruizerdasainkai and Kakkhanadorisainkai, for he trembled, but Kakkhanadori only smiled.

**Well said, Redames Galant pås Aaricia,** he intoned formally. Menruizerda added, equally formal, **You and your brethren may rise. **

As if released from a spell, the Market scattered. People rose to their feet and shook out their clothes, retrieved their baskets from where the latter lay, and went about their original course. The Eternals smirked to each other, nodded again to Redames Galant, and followed the example of the customers: They continued on to their original destination, the Himeno Tsuruki Café.

:-:-:-:

'_The Eternal Deities,'_ Tenna whispered, awe-filled and reverent. _'I never thought I'd see Them in my lifetime.' _

'_They were bound to return at some time,'_ Ilowe reminded her. He, too, sighed. _'I have to agree with you, though. Their power is far greater than anything I could have imagined.' _

'_There's something odd about this feeling,'_ Anton contributed. He had become as much a part of the quintet as anybody else in it, therefore making the quintet a sextet instead._ 'Something I'm not sure I like.' _

'_Likely it's the feeling of complete sovereignty They have over you,'_ Ilowe suggested. _'It's not a comfortable feeling.' _The Illusionist shook her head in agreement.

'_Where's Nay-chan?'_ Tenna inquired, gazing around. _'I haven't seen her since breakfast, and usually she's here by now.' _

**It is not yet time for her to appear, Tenna Kilon Athenike.**

The four friends paled. Slowly they turned to their left and bowed stiffly to the twin figures located there. It was not clear which of Them had answered Tenna's question, but it did not need to be. The appearance of either of Them, much less the both of Them, was too momentous to induce interest in determining which of the Two had spoken.

After a while, Tenna managed to stutter out, _'Forgive me, my Eternal Deity, for my impudence. I merely worry about the Lady Ki Breaker.' _

**Yes, you worry about 'er very much, don't you?** The Deity with white for eyes remarked. **Perfectly natural; that female gets 'erself into many situations she can't easily get out of.**

**We are about to do the same, Counterpart Mine,** the other Deity interceded. The first Eternal turned to the Second in question, but His face cleared a second later. Nodding to each other, They somehow slid sideways into the crowd, slithering among the people before Them with hardly a murmur and yet conspicuous because of Their very natures.

The sextet-minus-two gained insight into the Eternal Deities' conversation a full minute later, when the Dimension was assaulted by a cloyingly and sickeningly familiar aura—that was much changed.

Whatever Vorízentai the Valkyrie had done to herself in the quiet interval on her part since the incident at Yttrium, it was _not_ amenable towards the continued existence of the Demon Dimension.

And with Catherine's luck, she would probably run directly into Vorízentai's clutches and not even realize it until it was far too late.

Tenna, predictably, was the first to push her chair back.

:-:-:-:

Something was wrong.

_Horribly _wrong.

Catherine rocketed along the Road of the World, ignoring any and all people in her way. Something was wrong, and it had to do with Kakkhan. Now, she of all people knew Kakkhan was immortal, she'd found out the hard way after all, but her heart ignored this tidbit of experience. It alternatively battered against her ribs and sank into her stomach, which itself flipped around crazily, trying to escape the leaden rock weighing down the bottom of it. Something was wrong, and her very soul was crying out about it—no logic could refute _this_.

She had to slow down once she hit the Market—of course, with all the people all rushing about—but she wished they would all drop to the ground and _get out of her way_—didn't they know how something horribly wrong was happening now? She cursed Fate for Her wickedness (then retracted it immediately afterwards—it was _Fate_, after all), but tried to be patient and use the holes in the crowd to her best advantage.

It was hard not to scream.

At last—_at last_—she burst free from the ever-present crowd. Instantly she skidded to a stop, covering her mouth to stifle the second scream. For high above her, a monstrous shape loomed, its giant face deformed by its ugly sneer, and its bright purple emanation streaked through with bloody red and sickly green.

The scream did escape her grip upon it when she saw the two figures highlighted against this form; one of them in particular was _very_ familiar. She stumbled forward another step, her eyes riveted to the man with the leather overcoat—

"_Kakkhan!"_ She did not hear herself scream the name, nor did she realize that she had started running again. She did not recognize the voices calling after her, or the hands that slipped down her shoulders, trying to contain her. She did not know that she had quite unconsciously started to float, foreign muscle memories wrapping about her to lift her unsteadily into the air—

:-:-:-:

**Vorízentai Dagmar Manto.** He inclined His head slightly to the giant hoary face leering animalistic at him. The mindless, blank expression turned from Him to the Other, who was saying:

**A Valkyrie no longer, but that race's bestial form, the Morovden.** The Other inclined His head, too, eyes never leaving the dark, sullen, and malevolent irises affixed on Them. He inwardly smiled, amused, when the Other sent Him a mental image of a certain finger jabbed upright and shoved directly into the Morovden's face. Ahh, Earthlings...their sexually driven imaginations entertained infinitely.

_...Eternal Deities..._ The voice, rough and coarse, insinuated itself into Their souls. It meandered, coiling and uncoiling as a viper searching for prey...a voice of a spider inviting flies to step into her parlor.

The last analogy (again, Earthlings simply delighted him with their half-fearful phantasmal inventions) was not inappropriate. Vorízentai's Morovden was a Bephiel, a third-spider, third-scorpion, and half hoary humanoid torso and face to top the mess. Normally Bephiels were not so gigantic, but Morovdena were almost always larger than life anyway...something about a mostly effective intimidation factor.

Recognizing the tactic, He smiled genially at the Morovden. The smile turned vacant a moment later, and less certain... His body relaxed marginally, the battle-tension leaving the sinews, tendons, and muscles to allow the owner the sensation of simple flotation...

_...There's one, I see, that has not felt the touch of my mind before..._

The Other turned to look at Him, but He ignored the movement in favor of the subtle whisperings weaving in undercurrents around His soul. So beautiful...

Sensing victory, the Morovden's mental silk strands tightened. He was now encased almost to the point of immobility... and that scorpion's tail whipped towards Him. He, still smiling, called out soundlessly:

**Chana's Mirror Spirit Blade.**

Vorízentai shrieked. The scorpion's tail suddenly faltered, its barbed tip snapping back wildly. Grinning ferociously now, Kakkhanadorisainkai slashed at the remaining spider's threads holding Him. As _if_ He'd let that _zelanch_ control Him. Underneath the surface thoughts of compliance and entrancement, He'd been plotting maliciously... like a tiger playing possum to fool its prey.

**Very nice, Eternal Deity.**

He turned the grin onto Menruizerdasainkai, who appeared entirely unsurprised. Of course, nothing could flap that Eternal Deity, not even the apparent betrayal by His Eternal Counterpart. It was only when He found Himself locked within the confines of a mortal soul, sentenced forevermore to the recessive state, that He'd panicked.

Understandable.

The rustle of gigantic proportions alerted Them both. They dived out of the way of the scorpion tail; Menruizerda materialized His Wyre's Breath Spirit Naginata. Kakkhanadori swung downward with the Spirit Blade. The hand He'd just chopped off thudded to the ground; but was replaced with another while Vorízentai, roaring, rushed Them both.

In unison, They wheeled and swung Their respective weapons. Two area waves of black and multihued light spun out of the ends and directed their attack upon Vorízentai, but the Morovden dissipated them with a bellow and a swipe of her claw. Smoothly parting, the Eternal Deities circled around Their prey in opposite directions. Kakkhanadori now floated to Vorízentai's left while Menruizerda stayed in her peripheral vision.

"_Kakkhan!"_

The shriek rent the air and stilled every movement of the three fighters. Turning, Kakkhanadori watched with a raised eyebrow as the form of a mortal female with shoulder-length black hair, black eyes, and a Ki Breaker's energy center wobbled over to them. Instantly He saw past the glamour that coated that face, but her true face meant nothing to Him...

...other than the fact that it was, He realized belatedly, the face of His host's mate.

**This will be interesting,** Menruizerda muttered. Whether the Other knew that the Ki Breaker was related to Kakkhanadori's host or not, Kakkhanadori Himself had to agree.

"Kakkhan! Don't—don't fight her, she's—"

The Ki Breaker's eyes widened when she looked at something behind Kakkhanadori. He looked, but saw only Menruizerda, and an oncoming set of claws.

**Chana's Mirror,** He said. A shimmering force field, nearly invisible, sprung up immediately and stopped the claws. Heaving, Kakkhanadori thrust her away and directly into the way of Menruizerda's attack.

"You're, you're not Kakkhan."

Kakkhanadori turned to the mortal female again. The stunned and dismayed and panicked look upon her face caused Him to grin wolfishly. **No, Lady Ki Breaker, I am not. You may know Me better as Kakkhanadorisainkai, Legendary Lord, Eternal Deity of Light. Your mate's Inner Core in Its True Form.**

He gave her a mocking bow. **Now, m'lady, kindly step back so We may destroy this Morovden.** Kakkhanadori thrust His Blade back behind him, pulled it forward again, and spun in the same move to slash at the limb Vorízentai had sent to attack Him. Pursuing the regenerating leg, He shouted at Menruizerda:

**We must finish this quickly. The mortal female must be protected!**

**Of course,** Kakkhanadori's Counterpart coolly responded. **She is this moment's Key, after all.**

**Glad You understand Me so well, even now,** Kakkhanadori smirked. **Shall We do this?**

Without replying, both Eternal Deities dropped Their mental shields so fast that even the Lady Ki Breaker could sense the reduced state. Quick as a flash, Vorízentai greedily grasped at Their minds, faster than the Deities expected. Crying, **No!**, They struggled against her mental encroachment.

**Dammit!** Menruizerda choked. **Our bodies now are too weak to help Us resist!**

Kakkhanadori's voice was even more strained. **We need to get Our real bodies!**

**How?** Menruizerda wanted to know. His voice had become fainter. **As far as I know, these **_**are**_** Our real bodies!**

**Have six 'undred years in mortal captivity rotted Your brain, Menruizerda?! These are **_**not**_** the real bodies!**

**Then—** The rest of Menruizerda's answer lost itself when the mouth it was leaving suddenly snapped closed. The Eternal Deity's body followed the example the mouth set and stiffened taut as a wooden board—

—before it relaxed. Kakkhanadori already had a glazed look upon His face; slowly He straightened His slumped shoulders so He stretched to His full height. Then He bent from His waist and bowed. The Darkness followed, but so closely He seemed to be executing the same movements at the same time—

In fact, He _was_. The two Deities appeared to have one mind in two bodies, a mind that did not appear to be in control of itself.

Vorízentai's reaction confirmed these fears.

She laughed.

_...Ha! Ha! Ha!... _she crowed. _...The Eternal Deities are mine!..._ Suddenly she stumbled. Catherine shied away instinctively, but in doing so she lost what little control she had over her ki_._ So while Vorízentai threw her hoary head back violently, Catherine plummeted towards the ground. She hadn't noticed quite how high she was above the ground while she was in the air, but the height made her clench her eyes shut as she hurtled at speeds she only vaguely remembered enjoying towards the ground.

For a few moments, the world slowed. She was able to enjoy the flow of wind past her ears, how her bangs whipped off of her forehead, how her body violently wavered, pushed on as it was by the force of the wind. In this moment, Watanabe Gikuko Catherine knew only peace.

Then she choked as she slammed into something at several tens of kilometers per second.

:-:-:-:

A/n: O.o Clearly I was not in a proper state of mind when I wrote this chapter, or the last, or the last before that. There are just too many cliffies to be holy, and I, of course, am evilly enjoying them all.

I most humbly request that you not kill me. (Bows)

:-:-:-:

SNEAK PREVIEW OF: Combat

_...Fight... _she demanded in her low crackling voice. _...Destroy each other..._

:-:-:-:

Thanks, as always, to **Lov3the3vil** for tirelessly reviewing chapter after chapter. I'm sorry I've been so evil, and that I'm slowly killing you more and more with each end. That said, have fun! (Smiles sweetly) (And btw, I told you Menrui was coming back in another form!)

Au revoir,

**TheShadowPanther** and Allati, from **AASN**

**AASN;** Writing is what we do for you at **AASN**. Enjoy.

_Updated 08.01.08_


	22. Chapter TwentyOne: Combat

**Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper**

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha!

A/n: Again, see chapter Twenty (technically, chapter 19) for a persnickety person's rant.

Chapter Twenty-one: Combat

Vorízentai the Morovden howled. Her head felt as if it were being ripped to shreds, exactly as it had felt like when that wretched Eternal Deity of Light had deceived her and fought free of her mental threads. Yes, it felt the same, only ten times more intense. Neither of the Eternal Deities had deceived her this time, she had both of Their minds in Their entirety in her cocoons, and both of Them battled for control. If she didn't find something for Them to do, soon They would control _her_!

_...ROAR!..._ Vorízentai threw out her clawed hands at the victims of her mental spiderweb. The spiderweb was supposed to be poisoned, in addition, but neither of the Deities seemed affected. No matter, she determined, for Their efforts against her would stop..._now_.

Battling fiercely the entire way, the Eternal Deities slowly obeyed her command to face one another. Readying Their weapons, They slid into fighting stances and stared the other down. Other noises intruded into the sphere of influence Vorízentai worked for, but the Morovden ignored them; she concentrated instead upon the servants twain floating in front of her.

_...Fight... _she demanded in her low crackling voice. _...Destroy each other..._

Unwillingly, very very slowly, Menruizerda raised His Spirit Naginata. Kakkhanadori grimly copied His Counterpart. Of a sudden He shot another mental swing at Vorízentai, enough to throw her off for a few seconds, and managed to push His weapon up just in time to block Menruizerda's downswing. They sprang back, hoping to utilize the chance, but Vorízentai had recovered and urged Them on.

The Morovden managed to capture Their minds fully past the point of fighting when They tried to miss each other on the next attack. The pain she subjected Them to as punishment for rebellion was almost as great as the pain They'd caused her, which only made Them more determined to see that this pestilence upon the Demon Dimension was vanquished. Meaning no offense at all to Penelopegekirei, of course...

The noises that the three of them had been filtering out broke back in. Quick as a flash, a being of gigantic shape darted between Them and let loose a splash of fiery acid at Vorízentai. Shrieking, she flapped at the holes quickly burrowing their ways into her legs, torso, and lower half of her face.

Suspended in mental stasis as They were, They only stood by as the Human upon the Dragon's withers stretched a hand out toward the Morovden. Vorízentai howled again, but the mental threads around the Eternal Deities did not cease. Rather, they tightened again...

Sluggishly, Kakkhanadorisainkai lifted His right hand and wordlessly fired off another multi-colored ball of light. The Dragon's head whirled at the instant the energy formed, so she was able to flap her leathery wings and dodge out of the way. In the process, the ki bomb veered into the path of a monstrous-looking creature lurking at the edge of one of Vorízentai's spider legs—and passed completely through it.

The creature had been an illusion.

_...KILL THEM! KILL THEM ALL!..._ Vorízentai screeched. She was still trying to fend off the Dragon and her rider's combined attacks. Stone-faced, Menruizerda and Kakkhanadori waved Their hands through the air. Thousands of ki bombs—black and multi-colored—whistled through the air. Many of them were very accurate, hitting the Dragon and the Ki Breaker they were intended for. But Dragons—even one was newborn as this one—were sturdy creatures, and Ki Breakers could not be taken down by ki, no matter what nature that ki was of.

Vorízentai seemed to have forgotten these tidbits of knowledge, however.

The Dragon roared again and dived in for another shot. The Lady Ki Breaker dragged energy out of the Morovden again, but this time Menruizerda was compelled to fly into the Dragon's (and her) path. The beast reared, frantically backwinging, while the Human struggled to stay on. Menruizerda did nothing to help them, nor did He move to unsettle them.

Kakkhanadori did that well enough, landing lightly upon the Dragon's tail. The Dragon, like last time, was alerted by the formation of His ki attack, but at point blank could evade it no more than a brick wall could avoid a car running directly into it. Keening loudly, the beast flailed as the ki attack hit her spine—and robbed her of the use of her wings.

Kakkhanadori hovered free, watched dispassionately as the Dragon and the Human perched upon her began to fall.

But suddenly a four-legged doglike beast appeared. It snatched the Human out of midair and leapt towards the nearest object tall enough to land upon at this height: a mosque-like tower supplementing the design of the Basilica Vitae. The animal alighted safely and placed his burden upon the dome lightly. Now that he had stopped moving, Kakkhanadori could see that the doglike beast was actually a horse—if a horse had long strands of fire for a mane and tail. The eyeballs even were on fire, and as the animal stamped his feet, sparks erupted from his hooves.

The Nightmares had arrived.

For there was not the one, Kakkhanadori discovered when He turned around. No, there were hundreds of the mythical beasts drifting in air, ranging from specimens so old as to be grey instead of the true black of their fellows to the forms of fire that were the foals. All of them had their heads raised proudly up high, their flames blazing defiantly, and all were ready for battle.

_...Douse them..._ Vorízentai ordered. _...Ki won't work against these animals, so use your weapons..._

Kakkhanadori, if He had had the faculty of free thought, would have rolled His eyes. Instead, He only gripped Chana's Mirror Spirit Blade tighter and glided smoothly to obey the Morovden's command. Menruizerda remained in His place in front of Vorízentai.

'_No!'_

Kakkhanadori jerked as He suddenly felt a large portion of His ki abruptly wrenched away from Him. His flight towards the Nightmares faltered—and so did Vorízentai's control over Him.

_I see_, Kakkhanadori thought grimly. He shot off a Chana's Mirror towards the Nightmares, but made it seem as if it dissolved before it reached its target. His real intention was not to attack them, but to defend them, and maintaining such a defense could possibly put a strain on His ki sufficiently enough to keep Vorízentai at bay.

Especially if He also expended energy to protect that Human.

_...Why isn't that Ki Breaker dead yet?!..._ Vorízentai demanded. _...Kill her with your Spirit Blade now!..._

Kakkhanadori moved towards the Human mounted upon the back of the Nightmare, His Blade raised high, but a pitch-black Nightmare with blue flames blocked him with a bellow. Kakkhanadori fell back as the horse-like creature's sonic boom ripped through Him—of course. Sound was another of those elements that was completely indifferent to states of corporeality. It traveled through air and physical objects the same way, if at unequal rates. Of course sound would be effective against an element as intangible as light or darkness.

An element like Kakkhanadori.

_...Fool!..._ Vorízentai cried. _...Menruizerdasainkai, go finish the female off! Do what your Counterpart is too incompetent to do!..._

Blank-eyed, Menruizerda soared swiftly from His previous place as Vorízentai's guard over to the Lady Ki Breaker. Like before, the Human female tired to Ki Break Him, but the Darkness deflected her attack automatically. In the process, He turned the movement of His Spirit Naginata seamlessly into a side-slash at the mortal's neck—

—which Kakkhanadori flawlessly blocked.

The Lady Ki Breaker's mount jolted back out of reach as Menruizerda drew His Spirit Naginata off of Kakkhanadori's Spirit Blade. Kakkhanadori merely brought said Blade up behind His ear again, unthinkingly ready for any attack any enemy from any side might dare to make upon Him.

The attack, of course, came from Menruizerda.

_...What are you doing?!..._ Vorízentai howled. _...I did not order you to fight each other!..._

Actually, _shilasu_, you did, Kakkhanadori wanted to tell her, but He reserved His attention for His Counterpart alone. He blocked and returned an uppercut slice with interest, backhanding Menruizerda with the flat of the Spirit Blade in addition. While His Counterpart was down, Kakkhanadori threw up another Chana's Mirror—just in time to meet the Wyre's Breath roaring His way.

The nature of Wyre's Breath—and of the power of the Eternal Deity of Darkness—was to attack at a level that was always slightly or more powerful than whatever it was attacking. This had been in evidence against Majin Buu; the awakened form of Darkness inside of Son Gohan Tairyoku Chikurro Menrui had fought at a level that surpassed the Majin's own, no matter what form Buu had taken. Thus that being—which had not been Menruizerda in His truly awakened form, but a sad shadow of a mindless beast instead—had been able to toy with Buu easily and effectively, while Buu itself had become ever more frustrated and petulant.

Chana's Mirror, on the other hand, was designed to match its opponent's power exactly. No matter what attacked it—or what it attacked—the attack would always meet with a force that neutralized it precisely—and even bounced it off, thus forcing its opponent away from its target and what, if anything, the Mirror was guarding. Best of all, in daylight it never appeared as anything other than an image of what lay beyond it. The Mirror itself only emerged when it reflected off an attack from either side of itself.

This meant, however, that Wyre's Breath, with its penchant for expansion, and Chana's Mirror, the neutralizer, could never completely overwhelm the other. Wyre's Breath, even as it was pitted against the Mirror, constantly grew in power to try and devour the Mirror. The Mirror, in return, grew to match the level of the Breath unerringly—and to bounce the black starless void of an attack off. Like the forces of Light and Dark themselves, the Mirror and the Breath could not defeat the other, but only battle continuously for control.

That is, until they were called off.

On Menruizerda came, blank-faced and indifferent, swirling the Spirit Naginata. As the Counterpart had done with His Breath, Kakkhanadori swept aside the Mirror and swung His Blade up to His opponent. Menruizerda intercepted the attack and reached in past Kakkhanadori's guard with His fist—which Kakkhanadori trapped with His free arm. Twisting back with that shoulder, Kakkhanadori pulled Menruizerda in closer.

Just in time for Menruizerda to receive a Ki Break in His back.

Vortexes of eyes widened, then briefly gained infinite depth. By the time they went blank again, Kakkhanadori knew that Menruizerda had gained the same semi-self-control faculty that Kakkhanadori had—or had He? Wyre's Breath Spirit Naginata still whistled towards Him, but someone screamed when He dodged the swipe. Kakkhanadori was not surprised when He looked back to see that Vorízentai's scorpion barb had been severed—and this time it did _not_ grow back.

Turning back, Kakkhanadori ducked under another strike and turned the movement into a backwards bicycle kick that nearly took Menruizerda down. Their fight was now more a set of choreographed charades than anything else—both knew the other's fighting style too well to be fooled by anything. In this weird state of half-control and half-surrender to Vorízentai, it was oddly easier not to hurt each other than when They'd also been fighting for mental domination. Softly, gently, Kakkhanadori began working at His mental bindings again...

...and found that not only was He linked to Menruizerda again, but that His Counterpart had already started. Glad He could not smirk just yet, Kakkhanadori just joined the Darkness in the task and tried to work faster.

Somehow, at the same time, He kept an awareness out for happenings outside of His little circle of existence. The Dragon had returned to the fight, her wings beating feebly but her attacks of acid as strong as ever. The Nightmares had found a way to move the Chana's Mirror still covering them with them on their attacks upon Vorízentai's person.

They moved in their famous Field Phalanxes, driving row after row of assorted fighting moves at the Morovden. Two Nightmares attacked her directly with their hooves and teeth, for instance, while four supported them with sonic booms. Another shot whips of fire at the Morovden using swishes of his mane and tail. Three finished the row with garbled incantations meant to inflict psychological damage—and succeeded, judging by the way Vorízentai reeled.

This was all without mentioning the thousands of conjurations racing everywhere. Several specially-skilled Nightmares—including the Lady Ki Breaker's steed—were singing (or rather baying) at the top of their voices in oddly fire-infested words. These words dripped from the mouths of the Nightmare who uttered them and transformed into various parts of hellish creatures.

These parts stuck to one another as soon as they completed genesis, and in the proper places, until shortly they assembled the whole of the beast they meant to make up. Then this beast abruptly awoke and immediately jumped to join the countless others of its comrades that had come into being exactly the same way.

By this process, Basilisks, Hellhounds, bloody-eyed Harpies, miniature Serpent-Dragons, Sphinxes, Manticores, Chimerae, Cerberuses, and other fantastically sinister beasts joined the throng of creatures attacking Vorízentai. Sometimes the creatures faded out immediately after achieving their primary objective, or after being hit by one of Vorízentai's retaliations, but others were substantially more corporeal. These often returned to bite or attack a second or third time, or to rescue particular Nightmares in battle. To top it all off, a third of the numerous beasts were not real—somehow the Nightmares were also conjuring illusions to intermix with the real ones.

Or perhaps there was an Illusionist working with them.

In effect, Kakkhanadori's host's entire entourage had taken up this battle. Tenna Kilon Athenike had somehow done the impossible and changed from a Drake into a Dragon. Ilowet had successfully rummaged up a full battalion of Nightmares, even despite his status as an exile from that community for over seven years, and led them against Vorízentai. Hodaia-kil-Sith, Illusionist, had tendered thousands of her specialty to mingle with the Nightmares, conjurations,_ and_ the Dragon and successfully sent them against Vorízentai. Even more forces were arriving to fight, comprising of more City Residents—among them in particular a bright electric blue form of a Griffin soaring free and fiercely proud.

And of course, there was Yamaguchi Gikuko Akemi Watanabe Catherine herself, doing and exceeding her best at absorbing and repelling ki at a furious rate. She showed no sign of her previous discomfort with Ki Breaking that she was so famous for—Kakkhanadori knew the Human would no longer fear that part of herself when this battle was over (in one way or another).

No, her desperation was for something else, something totally not herself but still deeply ingrained into her and her life.

Kakkhanadori and Menruizerda were only fighting one another, each keeping the other out of the battle.

But this would not be enough. Something decisive had to be done and quickly, for although Vorízentai Dagmar Manto the Morovden was severely weakening, she was still powerful enough to hold them all off long enough to capture their minds.

Or worse.

He checked how much of the mental trap He'd unraveled so far. Compared to the total amount, He hadn't progressed far, but loops and loops of silk lay around Him. He'd thrown off enough that, given enough of a push, He _and_ Menruizerda could spread a telepathic message to the City Residents with details of a plan. Discreetly, Menruizerda agreed. Now all They had to do was come up with a strategy in the first place.

High above Them, Vorízentai screamed. They ignored the sound for a second, thinking it to be another reaction to an attack upon her, but that was not precisely true. Oh yes, it was a reaction, indeed, but it was evident that the scream was much more than that.

It was a counter-attack.

Breaking free from the fight He and Menruizerda had been engaged in this entire time, He looked on as Vorízentai screamed on and on and on. The Morovden did not possess the power of sound attacks, like the Nightmares, but even in animalistic form she had an ability to enhance whatever aspect of herself she thought to use to her advantage. At the moment, it appeared that she was using this to full effect upon her voice, casting her scream high and far into the ears of her victims.

The Nightmares, who were particularly sensitive to sound, immediately suffered from this effect. Some of them immediately fell to the ground far below, blood draining from their ears and noses, the fires of their manes and tails dimming. Most fared a little better, but only so they wavered in midair, or convulsed spasmodically, or snapped rigid, their flaming eyes muting. The Summoner Nightmares, out of all of them, were least affected; their heads merely hung low and their bellies heaved heavily as they gasped desperately for breath.

The conjurations, on the other hand, seemed to take no notice. They attacked on, deaf to a source of pain to their creators, and oblivious to the cessation of the attack upon the Nightmares' part. Still, with such greatly reduced forces, they left less, much less, of a mark on Vorízentai than before.

The City Residents, who were father away and not so sensitive, still staggered. They would take a few minutes to recover.

While they did so, Vorízentai could make her move.

As Vorízentai's attack had not been directed at Them, Kakkhanadori and Menruizerda did not need to waste time to recover. Determining that what They had unraveled so far would have to be enough, They struck again at the mind of the Morovden. This time They attacked in unison, then in alternating patterns, than randomly and simultaneously again. By attacking this way, They hoped to be unpredictable so that Vorízentai would not know which way to look, much less know which Deity to suppress first. Of course, she _could_ try to crush the both of Them concurrently like last time...

As if reading Their minds, Vorízentai tried exactly that. Menruizerda skipped back, seeming surprised that the Morovden would try such a thing, while Kakkhanadori fell in. Vorízentai sneered at Kakkhanadori for being so clumsy on His feet, but when He nearly flailed clear of her mental spiderweb, she snarled instead.

_...Fools!..._ she hissed at Them. _...Did you think you could get away from _my_ mental coils?! As if!... _She began to skitter towards Them (for They had floated a considerable distance away from her in Their battle). In the process, she paid no attention whatsoever to the buildings she demolished or the stampede of non-combatants in the Market she started. All of her attention was upon the Eternal Deities alone.

Which meant that it was a total surprise when the Lady Ki Breaker's next Ki Break failed to hit. But as the Eternal Deities and Vorízentai turned to look at her (the Morovden with a hate-filled snarl), it really wasn't.

The Lady Ki Breaker was in terrible shape; obviously Vorízentai's attack had also affected her deeply. She was unsteady in the air, one arm appeared to be broken, cuts and welts swelled her exposed skin, and her face was grey. Moreover, her glamour had disappeared, leaving behind a face that seemed finely detailed after the rougher aspects the false face had covered it with. Something roused vaguely deep within Kakkhanadori then, but not out of desire.

Watanabe Catherine was in no shape whatsoever to be fighting. And yet she was still standing, or floating, rather, and still waving a feeble arm in the air trying to Ki Break the greatest enemy she had ever come across—

Shoving the interior shift aside, Kakkhanadori instead took advantage of the situation. The swipe He made at Vorízentai had her snapping in anger, and the scorpion's tail automatically whipped towards Him in retaliation. But the barb at the top was gone, taken off by Menruizerda minutes after His Ki Break. Kakkhanadori caught the harmless tail in His hand and yanked, intending to have Vorízentai fly toward Him so He could cut at her again. But Menruizerda sent in a Wyre's Breath just as Vorízentai jerked her tail back again, and this was what hit her instead of Kakkhanadori's own slice as the Light had meant.

Luckily, the Counterparts were not competing for hits in this fight, or Kakkhanadori would have sulked (mentally, at least).

As it was, He merely tripped mentally a second time when Vorízentai abruptly tightened the mental coils. He had not been able to disentangle His legs from them before He and Menruizerda had launched their new assault, meaning that mental spider silk still wrapped Him from His thighs on down. Cursing Himself for being so impatient, Kakkhanadori stilled His instinctive thrashing and told Himself to calm down. Yes, Vorízentai still had some control over Him, but she would now need to fight very hard to get Him to do something she ordered—unless she tried to throw more threads over Him and Menruizerda again.

Looking sharply around, Kakkhanadori relaxed as no sign of new incoming threads appeared. Menruizerda raised an eyebrow at Him, but Kakkhanadori only shook His head. Instead, He directed His attention to the outside, where Vorízentai was gloating over the pitiable state of her enemy, the Lady Ki Breaker.

_...You were _such_ a beautiful girl, too..._ Vorízentai murmured. Her croak of a voice usually grated, yes, but the patronizing tone it had adopted now only worsened it. _...Now look at you. You're all beaten up and not so pretty. Who looking at you could want you now?..._ She tsked in mock sympathy and folded her hands.

Meanwhile, Kakkhanadori and Menruizerda floated closer.

Watanabe Catherine—or Gikuko, as Kakkhanadori's host had thought of her at the last—glared up with admirable hostility at Vorízentai. "It's not my fault that Kakkhan turned you down when you wanted to get back together with him," she gritted out in Earthling. "It's yours for being such a bitch to him for two years—I consider it a good thing he got out when he did."

Kakkhanadori exchanged knowing looks with Menruizerda. He subconsciously tipped his hat off to Watanabe for calling the Morovden a _shilasu_ to her face—even if Vorízentai didn't know the Earthling language. That was the bad part about it all.

The Morovden may not have understood the Earthling language, but she understood very well the undercurrents of hostility and defiance thrown at her. Clearly, Watanabe was _not _affected by Vorízentai's words, and she was _not _going to just lie down and let Vorízentai kill her; she wasn't backing down at all. Growling, she yanked on the mental threads still binding Menruizerda and Kakkhanadori—and flung Them directly at Watanabe.

The Eternal Deities managed to stop Themselves before They hit the Lady Ki Breaker, but Vorízentai seized Their momentum and ordered Them to attack her. They refused, tried to turn the strike against the Morovden, but Vorízentai bore down on them—

And Kakkhanadori was hit with a brilliant idea. Spinning upon Menruizerda, He pointed the Spirit Blade at Him and intoned: **Chana's Mirror!**

Menruizerda twisted and immediately fired off the only attack that could even remotely come close to the Mirror.

**Wyre's Breath!**

_...What?!..._ Vorízentai shrieked. _...No!..._

"NO!" another voice echoed at the same time.

Before Kakkhanadori knew it, Watanabe had dashed into the path of His onrushing Mirror. She put out a hand to stop it and Wyre's Breath behind her, but it was too little too late: Both the Breath and the Mirror crashed into her, there was a giant soundless explosion, and a bright flash blinded everything out of view.

:-:-:-:

A/n: (Grins evilly) Muahahaha... You can't kill me either, or you'll never find out what happens! (Smug)

Allati: Uh, authoress, maybe taunting your readers isn't a good thing to do...

And no sneak preview, either! (Triumphant)

Allati: Oh, dear...

:-:-:-:

SNEAK PREVIEW OF: Awakenings

What did I just say? No sneak preview! That means no peeking, kiddies, and I'll know if you have! (Stinkeye)

:-:-:-:

Thanks to **Lov3the3vil**! (Smirk)

Bye!

**TheShadowPanther** and Allati, from **AASN**

**AASN;** Writing is what we do for you at **AASN**. Enjoy.

_Updated 08.10.08_


	23. Chapter TwentyTwo: Awakenings

**Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper**

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha!

_Warning: Extreme Chapter Length, Nonlinear Event Arrangement _

Chapter Twenty-two: Awakenings

There was light behind her eyes. It was in her brain, too, and in her fingers, toes, mouth, torso, and legs. Pain existed, as well, but the presence of the light overwhelmed it all.

Black light, white light, redorangeyellowgreenblueindigopurple—all of it resonated in her senses. Gikuko felt she could choke on how much and how many lights there were, or go insane. But no, she merely existed, she merely _was_, while the lights of every possible color streamed around her, into her, and out of her.

Gikuko _was_ light.

Her world consisted _only_ of light.

Other things came in every so often, like noises (which were too loud), smells (too confusing), taste (too much information), or touch (too many surfaces!). Each time, the lights blocked the sensations, but not the memory (and they _were_ memories, not half-imagined scenes to escape the lights). So Gikuko was left to brood over the flashes of the senses she experienced, to try and puzzle out what they meant.

"_What do you mean Vorízentai's dead? She can't be! After all that..." _

Gikuko knew that she had known what a Vorízentai was, once upon a time, but the lights refused to elucidate. She would have begged, but she had no voice to speak with. Not that that really mattered with the lights: They knew every centimeter of her thoughts and desires and fears—they certainly didn't need her to be able to talk to know what she wanted.

The smell of disinfectant had intruded next, and she had reeled backwards from the sensation voluntarily. Too many bad memories associated with that smell, even though Gikuko didn't know them—she just knew she didn't like that odor for a good reason. A faint trace of it followed her anyway, until the lights replaced it and comforted her quivering sense of self. Gikuko refused to think about the disinfectant, and the lights agreed.

She didn't know what it was that was upon her tongue, but it sent her brain into information overload. Whimpering, she cried out frantically for the lights to help—and they did. They seemed to be moving slower, however, and the taste remained on her taste buds for what seemed an unbearable infinite time. Then it disappeared, and Gikuko nearly fainted with relief.

Gikuko roused next with a faint sense of discomfort. She discovered that something relatively hard/soft/but-harder-than-soft was supporting her back, her neck, her head, her buttocks, the backs of her legs, and her heels. Instinctively she moved, trying to dislodge the discomfort, and scratchiness seared across her consciousness. Gikuko flailed, attempting to flee, and knocked into something that was much harder than whatever was behind her. Pain, more intense than the lights could immediately suppress, nearly knocked her out. It sent her rolling onto another surface, one that was much softer and squishier than the first one—

To Gikuko's relief, the lights descended then.

She'd just started to relax when suddenly the lights swept away and a foreign, completely foreign, consciousness invaded hers. She screamed then, the sound terrible to her ears, and scrabbled away, or tried to. The surface under her hands and feet was hard and slippery; it gave her no purchase whatsoever to speed her flight, while the consciousness advanced. She could see it now, a grey smoke-like entity, could smell it as a faint rusty stench, could even taste its metallic essence—

Now it, instead of the lights, enveloped her. She screamed and screamed and screamed, but the lights did not come. Rather darkness, a terribly, horrible void of nothingness, came to her and covered her sight.

Her remaining senses followed shortly afterward.

:-:-:-:

"_How's Catherine?" _

"_She's doing well. The Psyche Healer's venture into her mind was very successful. Now, she'll be awake, and she'll talk, and she'll be able to move about, but she won't understand abstract concepts just yet. That will need to wait until a Soul Healer sees to her. Would you like me to arrange for a visit?" _

"_Soul Healing? That takes a very long time, doesn't it?" _

"_For this type of damage, yes. We're looking at about a year and a couple months, at worst. At best, approximately ten months." _

"_Oh my." _

"_So, what are you saying? That the Lady Ki Breaker is effectively going to be equal to a machine for up to a year and a half?" _

"_Not a machine, more like a six-year-old child. I'm assuming that even Human children are not fully developed at that age, given that they usually live well over a hundred Earth years in a lifetime. More, if they are very healthy." _

"_And this is for a year and a half?" _

"_However long it is, we'll watch over her." _

"_Of course."_

"_I didn't mean to imply that we wouldn't—"_

"_Shut up, Ilowe. You're not making things any better." _

"_Sheesh. Here I am, trying to clarify the situation, and everybody snaps at me. All I need now is for Kakkhanadori to beat me down, and I'm set." _

"_How is Kakkhanadori, by the way? The Healers aren't letting anyone see him." _

"_I'm not one of his Healers, but I can ask for you if you wish." _

"_Please." _

:-:-:-:

Kakkhanadorisainkai, Legendary Lord, and Eternal Deity of Light watched as the Human female put herself into the crossfire of the Wyre's Breath and the Chana's Mirror. He turned His eyes as the light of infinitely many colors—including infrared and ultraviolet—rushed outwards from her (though He would not have been blinded from the flash), but snapped them back again when He felt something within _snap_.

Did the energies just combine...? Yes. The Lady Ki Breaker's screams confirmed His half-formed thought. Kakkhanadori had just enough time to put up His Blade in defense before the infinitely-colored light struck him...

...and burrowed into Him. Suddenly all He knew was light, white-black-red-orange-yellow-green-blue-indigo-purple-infrared-ultraviolet; all the colors of the visible spectrum and some of the invisible.

He laughed with joy and carefree, wildly and unrestrained. _This_ was why He was alive, to be a part of the lights of existence! He didn't live as an Eternal Deity to be worshipped or enshrined by people like those in the Demon Dimension Market.

No, light was His name and Light was what He was made of. As long as He was around, light would suffuse the Nine Rings of Life, and as long as light existed, Kakkhanadori would live. One would not be without the other, and would not want to be.

They were Eternal.

Opening His eyes, Kakkhanadori saw that Menruizerdasainkai had undergone much the same process. The feeling of utter peace had etched the Darkness' face into an expression that went beyond His usual calm façade. However, one eyebrow lifted, marring that impression, and Kakkhanadori realized why.

**You're in Your real body, Menruizerda,** the Light informed His Counterpart. Menruizerda nodded to Him and replied:

**So are You. But Your host's body isn't gone yet.**

Kakkhanadori glanced to the side to see the limp body of His beloved host floating slowly away from Him. The Light smiled sadly, closing His eyes briefly, before He turned His head back again.

**That's for the best** was all He said. Menruizerda watched Him carefully, but Kakkhanadori merely shifted His eyes again.

He grinned suddenly.

**Well, well, well,** Kakkhanadori suddenly snarked. **Look who's still alive.**

Menruizerda followed the direction of His gaze and bared His teeth. **Still?** He complained. **You'd think that blast would have done her in.**

**Oh, it 'as,** Kakkhanadori commented. **We just need to, er, **_**encourage**_** 'er a little bit.**

Now Menruizerda smiled evilly. **Are you thinking what I'm thinking?**

**The Dirk of the Fifth 'eaven?** Kakkhanadori inquired.

**That **_**is**_** what destroyed the Forbidden One, the other twin of Volüsias.**

Grinning in tandem, the Eternals brought up Their weapons and pointed. Far, far below Them, upon the same level as the injured Nightmares and other creatures who had fallen from the sky, lay a greatly diminished figure. It was no longer a Morovden, or even a Bephiel; it also did not represent the Valkyrie that had morphed into such forms. Rather it was a strange, flickering amalgamation of the three.

In a few short seconds, it became none of the triad when a large jagged lance of black and multicolored energy wrapped around each other slammed into her. As suddenly as it came, the laser disappeared, and only the slight smell of smoke in the air gave testimony that it had materialized at all.

At once, the Demon Dimension sagged. Tension and hysteria that had ruled the atmosphere since the appearance of Vorízentai Dagmar Manto the Morovden seeped away; exhaustion hit with the force of a sledgehammer. Nearly everyone was awake, however, to watch the glorious descent of the awe-inspiring Eternal Deities, and to take in Their real appearances for the first time.

They looked remarkably similar overall; Their body shape and stature (tall, slender, and muscular) were identical. But where One glowed, the Other stretched inwards towards the distance.

Kakkhanadorisainkai had a simple line of green running in myriad patterns all over his grey face and exposed parts of His body. His white eyes rimmed by a faint, slim line of grey iris were amused.

Menruizerdasainkai's visage was black and split into two by a red geometrical shape of right angles beginning over His right eye. Other colors edged into the scheme every so often, as the Deities' moods changed, but the initial vision did not vary. Menruizerda's hair was white; Kakkhanadori's black.

Clothing-wise, the Eternals' styles were very characteristic of Their differing personalities. Kakkhanadori looked comfortable in only a pair of loose blue fighting pants and samurai sandals on bare feet. His Spirit Blade currently rode on the Light's broad shoulders, but is scabbard buckled its bandoleer over His bare chest.

Menruizerda, on the other hand, defined "impeccable" in His neat, high-collared, and sleeveless overcoat (that reached to His ankles and slit at His waist for easier maneuverability), crisp trousers, and sturdy silk shoes. All His clothes were red. He also donned a red cloth armband with a strange symbol upon it. Undoubtedly, the Darkness also had a place for His Spirit Naginata, but it was nowhere to be seen.

Behind the Eternal Deity of Light, another, far more familiar body hovered. This the Light took gently into His arms. Turning, He walked over to another person on the ground—sitting in a fetal position and mumbling incoherently to herself—and set the figure of His host, Lord Kakkhan, Legendary Lord, next to her. He placed His lips upon those of Lord Kakkhan's, then straightened up.

**Take care of 'im, Lottonomorinekakuma,** He said gravely. **'E's in your 'ands now.**

Kakkhanadorisainkai gazed upon His namesake for a few seconds more, then inclined His head.

:-:-:-:

"_The Legendary Lord is stable now. His mate's bond with the Lady Ki Breaker has been broken, however—"_

"_Mate's bond?" _

"_Yes." _

"_No wonder Nay-chan was so happy that morning...They could only have done it the night before, when Kakkhanadori stayed over." _

"_That would explain how young it seemed and how easily it snapped." _

"_How young it seemed?"_

"_How easily it snapped?" _

"_When the Psyche Healer went into the Lady Ki Breaker's consciousness, he found the remains of a bond within it. These remains, he says, were still flexible and stretchy, something a bond of that nature would not have been after more than a week. Furthermore, it snapped in more than one place _and_ from its source in the Lady Ki Breaker's mind." _

"_Ouch. That had to hurt." _

"_Indeed. That is why the Lady Ki Breaker is the way she is right now. However, with a Soul Healer, the tiny pieces of the bond that still remain at the source will be smoothed away." _

"_Can't you replace the bond? I'm sure it'll help the both of them recover—" _

"_That is not possible for anyone but the participants to do. Since one is comatose and the other mentally unstable, I doubt that this is possible until and unless they both recover. Nonetheless, we could bring them together in a few days and see what happens." _

"_Do you think that is a good idea?"  
_

"_Generally, no. But I'd like to get the Soul Healer over here and take a look at both of them before we dismiss anything out of hand." _

"_I see." _

"_Is there a possibility of the bond ever recreating itself once it's been removed?" _

"_Yes, about a fifty-fifty chance. If there was an attraction to each other from the beginning, the chances increase." _

"_Well, I would _say_ they were attracted from the start." _

"_Really?" _

"_Yes, Anton. Believe me, they _were_." _

"_You don't have to be mean about it, Ilowe." _

"_Hey, I'm just stating a truth here. Kakkhanadori and Cath were perfect for each other from the moment they met. You know this, Tenna, don't deny it."_

"_I don't. You just didn't have to say it _that_ way." _

"_If they were attracted as you say, then it's a sixty-forty chance or better that the bond with reform. Be aware, though, that if and when they next meet, they may have absolutely _no_ attraction for each other at all, or even a strong antipathy." _

"_Oh Gods, I hope that doesn't happen." _

"_It won't, Tenna. You'll see. Have faith in the both of them." _

:-:-:-:

"_Your Eternal Deities." _

"_Tenna Kilon Athenike. Anton. Ilowet. Hodaia-kil-Sith. And Watanabe Catherine." _

That voice was made of the same darkness that had taken her from the lights, but this was a comforting void, the shadows of nighttime in bed rather than a deep chasm with no end. Gikuko rose up from the bed—and it was the bed that had been hard/soft/but-harder-than-soft—and looked up at a man with a strange-colored and –patterned face.

She giggled.

'_My name's not Catherine,' _she told Him brightly. _'It's Gikuko.' _

The man smiled. **Forgive me. My name is Menruizerdasainkai.**

Gikuko's eyes widened. _'That's a long name,'_ she blurted. _'How do you ever remember it?'_

Menruizerdasainkai chuckled. **I write it down over and over,** He said. **I can remember it better that way.**

'_I know how to write!'_ Gikuko announced brightly. _'It's really hard, though.'_ She wrinkled her nose.

**Keep at it,** Menruizerdasainkai encouraged. He then turned to Miss Tenna, who looked _really_ frazzled today. Gikuko giggled at that thought. It wasn't very nice, she knew, but that's what Ms. Tenna looked like! She stopped laughing anyway.

She noticed out of the corner of her eye another stranger. This one was looking at her curiously, but Gikuko hated Him at first glance. Without thinking, she threw a face at Him, involving bared teeth and drawn-down eyebrows. The man looked surprised, but then He smiled. Gikuko hated that, too, because it was the smile of a rival.

She turned away and sniffed.

'_Why? I don't mean to question Your Eternal Deity, but why should we send Kakkhanadori to Earth to recover?' _

Gikuko wondered what Miss Tenna was so upset about. She began to grow frightened when she saw black Mister Ilowe, blue Mister Anton, and wispy Miss Hodaia with the same expressions. Mister Menruizer looked serious, too.

She didn't hear what Mister Menruizerda said next, but what it was, it made Miss Tenna cry. Gikuko felt tears come to her eyes, too, but Mister Menruizer spoke reassuringly. **Do not worry; he shall recover quickly if you do this. Now, after the Soul Healers look at him and Gikuko-chan—** Gikuko brightened at the sound of her name **—They'll come up with the same scheme. Do not suggest it to them, though. This is just a warning to you so you may get used to it beforehand.**

Miss Tenna nodded, but she still cried. Mister Anton rubbed her back soothingly, but Gikuko wanted him to kiss the hurt away. That always worked.

Gikuko quickly changed gears and scowled when she saw THAT MAN step up to Miss Tenna.

**Tell 'im, tell Kakkhan, that 'e can draw 'is Spirit Blade now. Tell 'im in 'is sleep.**

'_You mean in his coma?'_ Miss Tenna asked. THAT MAN shook His head.

**You'll see what I mean when the time for it comes, Tenna Kilon Athenike. Trust your Foreknowledge.**

'_Yes, Your Eternal Deity.' _

:-:-:-:

The Soul Healer, a no-nonsense sort of woman, came and went. Gikuko was cowed by the authoritative presence the woman exuded, but she was even more frightened the next day. Then the same Soul Healer's voice rang out from the room two doors down:

'_Get them together! NOW!' _

Pandemonium ensued, and several people ran into her room and tried to pull her up by the arm; Gikuko resisted fiercely. She yelped when one of them (a Minotaur) bodily hauled her up and slung her over the broad shoulder; she was even more frightened now. One of the other people trotting with them noticed.

'_Don't worry, there,'_ he (or she) whispered. _'We're just going to visit a friend now.' _

Gikuko was not fooled, but she did relax a margin. In turn, the Minotaur's grip loosened so that she could breathe easier. The encourager smiled.

It didn't take long before the group reached its destination. Gikuko, put on her feet now, cringed a little at the sight of the Soul Healer, who looked even more dangerous than yesterday with snapping black eyes in a pasty face. The Minotaur would not let her retreat, instead nudging her gently along past the Soul Healer and into the midst of all the pandemonium.

Which, it turned out, was a man. His features were loose, his hair fanned upon the pillow, but he was unnaturally still. _'He's like Sleeping Beauty,' _Gikuko unthinkingly uttered. Stepping lightly towards him, oblivious to her freedom from the Minotaur's grasp, Gikuko bent down and placed upon the man's lips her own.

Instantly, the man's chest (scored with two oppositely diagonal white stripes and one smaller, vertical, slash) rose in a deep sigh. Gikuko felt the breath on her cheeks, for she had not unbent from her position, startled as she was by the fission that leapt into her upon contact. Hands again placed themselves upon her arms, and again Gikuko tried to resist them. She cried out,

'_No! I want to stay!'_

The hands froze but did not leave. Miss Tenna's voice timidly called, _'Come on, Nay-chan, let's let the Healers work...'_

'_No!'_ Gikuko drummed her feet. _'My name's not Nay-chan, and I'm not going!'_

'_Let her stay,' _the Soul Healer snapped out waspishly. _'I can easily work around her.' _

'_If you're sure...'_

'_Eibhiliel, put her into the bed with the Lord Kakkhan. Make sure to tuck her in nice and tight, hear?'_

Gikuko lost interest in the conversation above her head after that. She squirmed into the bed next to the steadily breathing and snuggled up tight. The Minotaur started to tuck her in, but Miss Tenna took over with a glare.

'_There, Gikuko-chan,'_ she soothed. _'You're all right now, and so is your friend. You needn't fuss anymore.' _

Gikuko nodded obediently, then yawned. The man was warm and safe, just like a big pillow. Though she just awoken, she felt the Sleep demon visit her again. Before It could claim her completely, she murmured in Earthling, "Don't worry. I'll keep you safe."

The man relaxed.

:-:-:-:

"_The Healers say that they want to bury Kakkhanadori's memories of anything to do with the Morovden's defeat or his mating with Catherine. They also, like His Eternal Deity of Darkness warned, ordered us to send him to Earth." _

"_That doesn't sound unreasonable. At least they're only proposing to bury the memories, not erase them completely. Kakkhanadori will be able to get them back when he breaks the spell on himself or asks the Healers to break it for him." _

"_And they're not burying almost all of his life, like they did with Gikuko." _

"_Why are they proposing the burial?" _

"_They said it would help him heal faster if he is not plagued by the memories which put him into the coma." _

"_Where are we supposed to send Kakkhanadori to on Earth? Does he have any friends down there?" _

"_Yes. Kakkhanadori told me a couple of their names a few years ago. I think if I search my memories, I'll find them." _

"_Cool. Will Gikuko be going down with him?"_

"_That's the thing. _If_ we send Kakkhanadori to Earth, _if_ we allow the Healers to bury his memories, Gikuko will _not_ be with him. That's the part that really bugs me." _

"_Why the separation?" _

"_They said that Kakkhanadori and Cather—Gikuko must be kept apart while they are healing. Right now, as they sleep, their auras are mingling together at a furious rate. If they remain together like this, then their auras will slowly meld together and neither will, literally, be able to live without the other." _

"_Ooh. Not a good thing." _

"_So, we have several things to decide. We have to decide if we want Kakkhanadori's memories to be buried and if we're sending him to Earth. I don't like the idea of sending him so far away, and I especially don't think it's right to keep them apart." _

"_Is there a time limit on our decision?"_

"_We technically have a couple days, but basically as soon as possible." _

"_Well. That complicates things."_

"_They look so peaceful, sleeping together like that. How can we keep them apart when they're so calm like this?" _

"_Well, we have to, right? Or else their auras will meld, and we don't want that." _

"_Even without any apparent memories of him, Cath—er—Gikuko went straight to Kakkhanadori and kissed him. Now, if in a mentally unstable state as she is in now, Gikuko can still have feelings for Kakkhanadori, what is the possibility that when she's recovered, those feelings will still be there? I think that even if they recover apart, Gikuko and Kakkhanadori will still have their same old feelings for each other. Maybe even more intense, considering what they've gone through." _

"_What about Kakkhanadori? We don't know that he will have the same feelings." _

"_As far as I could tell, the Healers were suggesting burial of the Morovden's defeat and their mating. They didn't say anything about burying their relationship at all." _

"_So you think that we should let the Healers bury Kakkhanadori's memories? What about sending him to Earth? He'll be so far away." _

"_Who said we can't stay with him or visit? Dimension 264751 isn't closed to dimensional wanderings as far as I know." _

"_Do you think the Healers would let us do that?" _

"_Why not?" _

"_Even if they disagree, there's no way we're letting Kakkhanadori go without someone to keep an eye on him. Even if we have to smuggle ourselves in." _

"_Oh, Ilowe." _

"_I mean it. We weren't able to help Kakkhanadori last time because Vorízentai was there and he didn't trust us. This is our chance to be there for him, to return his friendship as much as we are able." _

"_I agree."_

"_Hodaia? Do you have any opinions to offer?" Pause. "I see. Well, I guess that's settled then; we'll agree with the Healers and bury Kakkhanadori's memories, send him to Earth, and keep Gikuko here." _

"_I'll tell the Healers." _

"_That's a good idea. Why don't you all do that? I'd like to spend a few minutes alone with Kakkhanadori and Catherine." _

"_It's Gikuko now, remember." _

"_Huh?" _

"_Come on, Ilowe, let's go. Don't you know that Tenna wants to say goodbye to them and you're in the way, as usual?" _

"_Arrgh! Can't a guy get any respect around here?!"_

"_Out!" Clatter, bang, bang, _thud_. "Finally."_ _Shuffling_. _"Oh, Kakkhanadori. I wish you and Gikuko could see yourselves. You two look so serene... Am I doing the right thing? Is it going to be okay to separate you two, after all the things that you went through as Anton said? I don't know, I don't have the answers, and it's so terrifying! Your recuperation rests in my hands, but I don't want to take the chance that you will never reform your bond again if you're separated. I wish I hadn't had to make this decision, that you two were yourselves and with us!" Sobbing._

_Pause. "...Oh, and Kakkhanadori, you can draw your Spirit Blade now." _

:-:-:-:-:

A/n: This is the second-to-last chapter of **Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper**. Waaa!

Allati: Authoress?

NO! STAY AWAY FROM ME! LEAVE ME ALONE! I DUN WAN IT TA END!

Allati: Oh, dear...

(Lottonomorinekakuma is Lotto, btw, for those who may be confused by the veery long name. LOL.)

:-:-:-:

SNEAK PREVIEW OF: Propinquity

_'Hey, Ilowe,'_ Kakkhan said, pointing. _'Is that Tenna right there?' _

_'I believe it is,'_ Ilowe grinned. _'Let's sneak up on her.' _

:-:-:-:

Thanks to **Lov3the3vil** for reviewing and for looking over part of this chapter for me. Thanks for waiting!

Ciao,

**TheShadowPanther** and Allati, from **AASN**

**AASN; **Writing is what we do for you at **AASN**. Enjoy.

_Updated 08.17.08_


	24. Chapter TwentyThree: Propinquity

**Kakkhan: Saiyan Dimension Keeper**

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball/Z/GT, but I do own everything else. Ha! (This includes the bands and songs later on in this chapter)

Warnings: _VERY LONG CHAPTER; EVEN LONGER THAN THE LAST. OMG. Also, last chapter of Kakkhan _ever_. Waa! _

Chapter Twenty-four: Propinquity

It was a year to the day since he'd come to Earth. Kakkhan Knew he was as fully recovered in mind, body, and soul as he was ever going to get. There were still some things beyond his ken, but he wouldn't find them here, Kakkhan sensed. But where would he find them? Lately, he'd been feeling restless, but it wasn't until Tenna Athenike was telling Ilowe about a mutual friend of theirs named Catherine that Kakkhan knew why.

It was time for him to go back to the Demon Dimension, he realized. He'd missed the feeling he always got in his memories of being in tune with one's fellow City Residents, knowing what they knew, feeling what they felt. It was something he'd had with Menrui before his death, but on a much bigger scale—he'd felt like a part of a community of people like himself and yet so totally unique that they could not be compared. That feeling of _belonging­_—well, he did have some semblance of it on Earth, but not as in the City.

His reverie stumbled to a halt and died when Anton, Tenna's boyfriend, turned to him and asked, _'How's that Spirit Blade coming along?'_

Kakkhan smiled. _'It's going well. It's still not completely up to form, but the block on it that Menrui's death and my Inner Core put on it is long since gone.' _He expelled a breath. _'It draws very easily, but doesn't cut as strongly as it did before.'_

Tenna tsked sympathetically. _'You'll have to stay here a bit before that happens,'_ she rationalized.

Kakkhan promptly seized the opportunity. _'Actually, no. I've been here for as long as I need to be. Earth can do nothing more for me; I'm as recovered as I'm going to get here.' _

'_But what about your friends, and your job? They're going to wonder where you've gone.'_ Ilowe shuddered theatrically. _'It was _not _fun trying to fend off their suspicions last time.' _

Kakkhan felt a sweat-drop form on his head. He knew what Ilowe was talking about. Keiko and Midori in particular had not taken their friend's debilitated state happily; the Spanish Inquisition they had visited upon Ilowe and then Kakkhan had been...unpleasant, to say the least. He'd also just barely patched things up with the Z-senshi (or rather, the other way around); the cause of six years of exile (and said six years) was not surmountable with just six months (which was how long it had taken Kakkhan to recover enough to visit them _and_ get up the courage to do so). Bulma, Chichi, Vegeta, and Goku would probably fight to keep him there. Luckily, he had his ways of persuasion that it would be best not to reveal to his Demon Dimension friends.

He simply said, _'I'll tell them the truth: That I'm well again and have to go back to "Hovsport" to finish my contract there.'_

Ilowe eyed him askance. _'Your loss.'_

Kakkhan rolled his eyes. Then he noticed that Tenna and Anton were exchanging a long glance. _'What?'_ he questioned them.

They looked up. _'Oh,'_ Tenna started. _'You just reminded us of another person we knew. So, you want to come back to the City? Do you think that's wise?'_

'_Have a Soul Healer come and look at me if you're not sure,'_ Kakkhan suggested. _'I'll listen to their advice if they tell me to stay here longer.' _

Inwardly, he was almost begging that the Soul Healer didn't say that.

Tenna examined him minutely, then nodded. _'All right, but I'm holding you to that!' _

'_We'll get the Soul Healer here tomorrow,'_ Anton assured. His eyes twinkled. _'You'll be back in the City before you know it!' _

As promised, the Soul Healer came with alacrity, if a day later than promised. Introducing herself as Vesper, "just Vesper," she cast a brisk and professional look over her house call. _'You're looking much better,'_ she pronounced critically. _'But I'd hold off on cheering until I see your soul.' _

Kakkhan dutifully refrained, but he already knew that his soul was healed. He was a little concerned that the remaining mysteries would stay his return a little longer...such as the odd gaps in his memories—of a woman, no less—that he just could not fill in, no matter what he tried.

Minutes later, Vesper withdrew. _'You're in excellent condition,'_ she informed him. _'There are some problems, but you were right in saying that you're as recovered here as you'll ever get. I give you a clean bill of health and approve your petition to return to the City.'_ She smiled. _'Congratulations, Legendary Lord, and welcome back.' _

Kakkhan returned the smile slowly.

:-:-:-:

'_Giku!'_

Gikuko turned to see one of her best friends, Tenna, running towards her. _'Tenna!'_ she cried. _'Where have you been for the past few days?'_

'_Didn't you get my note?'_ Tenna asked. _'It was on the kitchen table.' _

'_I told you. I was on a field trip to the History Museum of Demonic Arts,'_ Gikuko reminded her Dragon Lady friend. _'I wasn't at the condo.' _

'_And you couldn't sense my ki anywhere, could you?'_ Tenna tilted her head. Gikuko nodded. _'Oh, Giku, I'm so sorry. I'll try to do better in the future.' _

'_You better,'_ Giku threatened.

Tenna merely swatted a hand at her. _'Oh, guess what?' _the Dragon Lady suddenly squealed, bouncing happily.

'_What?'_

'_Ilowe is coming back to the City! And, he's bringing his Earthling friend with him!'_

'_Who, you mean the one you want to set me up with?'_ Gikuko sighed when Tenna nodded brightly. _'You know that I don't want to go on dates with men I don't know. I've told you this all this year, but you don't ever listen!'_

'_That's because you're perfect for each other! Trust me, you'll _love_ him.' _

Gikuko only sighed again. _'When're they coming then?'_

'_Tonight!' _Tenna beamed. _'I'm so excited; I can't wait to see you both together agai—er—together!'_

'_What were you about to say?'_ Gikuko asked, staring at Tenna. The Dragon Lady pretended not to hear; instead she grabbed her friend's arm and pointed.

'_Look, there's Hodaia!' _

Gikuko pulled back from her friend's grasp. _'I want to know what it is you almost said. "Again"? Is that it? Tenna, is that—" _

Tenna squeezed the arm she held. The look on her face silenced the tirade bubbling up within Gikuko. _'I can't tell you,'_ the Dragon Lady told her friend desperately. _'Not now. After tonight, I can, but don't test me until then. I'm not sure I can hold myself together.' _

Frightened by the intensity of Tenna's emotions, Gikuko subsided. They trotted over to Hodaia, Tenna no longer forcing her cheerful air, and the three of them moved off along the Road of the World, which would eventually take them to the condominium that all three shared.

Now Gikuko _really_ didn't know if she wanted tonight to come.

:-:-:-:

At precisely the eighth hour of the evening, the Demon Dimension shifted.

Everyone within felt it.

Two Residents had returned from parts known, and one in particular was more hale and hearty than when he'd left.

The City was glad.

:-:-:-:

'_We're meeting Tenna, Hodaia, and their friend at _Niger et Candidus_?'_ Kakkhan questioned just outside of the bar.

'_Yep,'_ Ilowe confirmed. _'Weird, ey?' _

Kakkhan shrugged. _'I don't have a problem with it, really, but I'm just wondering why here and not Los Sueños.' _

'_Who knows with girls?' _

The pair shared an expressive look before shoving their way into the bar. Past the threshold, they paused, searching the crowd.

'_Hey, Ilowe,'_ Kakkhan said, pointing. _'Is that Tenna right there?'_

'_I believe it is,'_ Ilowe grinned. _'Let's sneak up on her.' _

Stealing quietly through the patrons of the bar, they walked stealthily up behind Tenna. Positioning themselves on either side of her, they suddenly leapt and pushed on her shoulders, reaching carefully past her wings.

'_Aieeee!' _the Dragon Lady screamed. She whirled around and snapped open her wings, magnificent things they were, with a twenty-foot leathery wingspan, ribbed creases, and claws at the top of their crests. Tenna, in that moment, looked threatening, precisely like a Dragon whose life is being endangered or, worse yet, whose eggs someone is wishing to poach.

Kakkhan and Ilowe only laughed uproariously. _'Relax, Tenna,'_ the Nightmare choked. _'It's only us.' _

'_Jeez, you two!'_ Tenna scowled at them. Her wings retracted instinctively then, creating gentle whirlwinds that ruffled everyone's hair in their wake. _'You almost gave me a heart attack!'_

'_Sorry, sorry,' _Ilowe began. _'I just can't believe I'm back in the City again. It's been a long time.' _

'_A very long time,' _Kakkhan agreed. He looked around with open satisfaction. _'I feel like I've come home now.' _

Tenna smiled at him. Kakkhan noticed that her eyes had become misty, and reached out to touch the Dragon Lady's cheek gently. His friend pulled back a little, hastily swiping at her eyes, but Kakkhan would not be deterred.

'_I'm so glad you're here,'_ Tenna said into his shoulder. _'It's been awful without you.'_

'_It's all right, Tenna, I'm here now. You don't have to worry about me anymore.' _He felt Tenna's smile through his shirt.

'_With all the trouble you always get into, I'll _never_ stop worrying about you,'_ she teased, drawing back. Kakkhan made a face at her, making her laugh, then turned her over to Ilowe, who was waiting impatiently for his own Tenna-hug.

'_Really, though, you two are the most immature people I have ever met,'_ she huffed suddenly. Tucking her arms into theirs, she dragged them over to the round table booth containing Hodaia the Illusionist. _'Gikuko will be along later, she had a section that should be ending right about now.' _

'_Is the girl insane?!'_ Ilowe exclaimed in disbelief. Kakkhan said hello to Hodaia, slid in next to her, and sat back to enjoy the scene.

'_It's the only one that didn't interfere with her other classes or other required extracurriculars,'_ Tenna admonished. Her wings jerked perceptibly.

'_Required extracurriculars? What could possibly—Gikuko!' _ Ilowe had shot out of the booth and galloped over to a woman of tallish stature in a minute. Kakkhan felt a jolt when he saw what she looked like—he knew her! It was vague, but this woman was definitely the one he'd forgotten. He instantly resolved to just act casual and see if she remembered him, or if she'd been made to forget him, too. No need to make a fool out of himself, after all.

That being said, he nevertheless took the opportunity to examine her features closely.

Her height he had already noticed, of course. She had midnight-purple hair—very distinctive—and shapely features that only grew clearer as the distance between him and them decreased. She had a nice figure; not as good as Vorízentai's (curse that dratted Valkyrie), but pretty anyway. But most of all he found the grey eyes arresting: They removed at first glance all breath and thought with their intensity.

Oh, yes, he felt distantly, this was the woman he'd spend the rest of his now-mortal life with.

Of course, he was perfectly composed by the time Ilowe and the not-quite-stranger arrived breathlessly at the table.

'_Did I miss him?'_ Gikuko inquired of Tenna, who shook her head. _'Good; I wouldn't want to miss Anton singing karaoke for the world.' _

'_Anton's singing karaoke?'_ Kakkhan questioned sharply. Tenna nodded; seemingly she had been robbed of her powers of speech by Gikuko's arrival. The Saiyan didn't blame her; the Human was striking, to say the least.

'_Oh, hi,'_ Gikuko said, seeing him for the first time. She held out her hand to shake. _'I'm Gikuko Watanabe.' _

No sign of recognition, check. To keep his cool, Kakkhan had to pretend not to notice the tingle his flesh made with Gikuko's when they touched. _'Kakkhan Tairyoku. Here I am known as the Legendary Lord, but you don't need to call me that.' _

Gikuko blushed. _'I keep forgetting about the titles in this place,'_ she explained. Kakkhan thought the blush humanizing; it softened the features it occupied and made Watanabe-san seem more approachable. _'Mine is the Lady Ki Breaker,'_ the Human continued, _'but please just call me Gikuko.'_

'_Not Watanabe-san?'_ Kakkhan queried.

She seemed startled. _'Oh, no,'_ she smiled, _'I've lived too long in the Demon Dimension for that. Two years,'_ she elaborated at Kakkhan's raised eyebrows.

If he hadn't known before seeing the Human that she was the memory that kept eluding him, he certainly would have known now. _'Two years?'_ he asked, willing to keep up the façade. _'That's strange. I should have known about you before now. I was only exiled to Earth for a year.' _

'_Really?'_

'_Oh, look, Anton's coming on!'_ Tenna abruptly squealed, breaking at last the dam on her voice. Heads swiveled. Sure enough, the electric blue demi-Griffin was ascending the stairs, a microphone in his hand and nervously reluctant look on his face.

'_Oh, he looks so tortured,'_ Gikuko laughed. She sat down next to Kakkhan and smiled when Ilowe won the fight between him and Tenna over the other seat next to her. Kakkhan rolled his eyes at their stupidity (ignoring in the process the warm pressure of Gikuko's arm on his side).

'Not_ one of the things I missed about the Demon Dimension,'_ he muttered. Gikuko turned to him in question, but her movement was interrupted by a squeal of feedback.

'_All right, people! Let's quiet things down here!'_ bellowed the owner of Niger et Candidus, a Vampire named Ruebene. Instantly the entirety of his bar calmed. _'Thank you. It's time for the best part of the night besides feeding here at Niger et Candidus, and that's karaoke!' _Roars of agreements met the Vampire's words. _'Silence! Ahem. Our first singer is a demi-Griffin named Anton, who, sadly, is involved in a relationship—'_ Tenna huffed angrily, folding her arms. _'—and is not available for mob-kissing backstage afterwards. Now, Anton has been signed up for three songs, two of your, the audience's, picking, and one of his own. Who has ideas?' _

Instantly a groundswell of voices clamored with song titles. Ruebene, unfazed, allowed the chaos to reign for a few seconds before he commanded silence again.

'_All right, I heard a couple pretty good choices. A bunch of you seem to like The Howlin' Punks; how does "The Age of Rocks" sound?'_ The Vampire grinned at the groans he collected from the crowd. _'No? Well, too bad, that's the first song Anton's going to sing. I also heard "The Minx" from Le Stitu—' _

Cheering interrupted the Vampire owner this time. Grinning, fangs flashing, Ruebene Ingolstadtdu bowed to the crowd and flourished his hand toward the palpably nervous Anton behind him. _'Without further ado, then, Monsieur Anton, take it away!' _

The Vampire quickly scuttled off of the stage as Anton took a step forward. The band behind him readied their instruments, striking when Anton sang the first notes of the first song.

"The Age of Rocks" told of the rising of the Apocalypse in the Demon Dimension and how the terrible entity was so powerful that three deities had to be born just to drive him back. It was in essence a creation story, telling of how the Eternal Deities of Light, Darkness, and Energy created the basic structure of the Nine Rings of Life. It had been popular just after the Battle of Vorízentai, as was anything mentioning the Eternal Deities of Light and Darkness, but now no one wanted to hear it anymore. The song had already been going for about half a year since the Howlin' Punks originally conceived of it, which made it ancient. Plus it was long, rambling, and made little to no sense.

Kakkhan was fascinated.

'_Oh, no,'_ Ilowe moaned upon seeing that expression on his friend's face. _'He's hooked onto it now; he'll _never stop singing it_!_'

Only Hodaia deigned to acknowledge the lament. Tenna was nodding her head along to Anton's voice, smiling that little half-smile of love; Gikuko on the other hand was watching Kakkhan half-amusedly, half-covertly.

When the song ended, Kakkhan blinked. Gikuko broke out into a laugh at the half-dazed, half-disturbed expression he wore. Still dazed, Kakkhan turned to her.

She was even more beautiful when she laughed.

Another blink and his bafflement was gone. Kakkhan raised an eyebrow at the Human, who shook her head, then turned back to the stage.

'_Well done, Anton, well done! What a talented young lad this is,'_ Ruebene commented carelessly. _'Now for "The Minx" by Le Stitu. Think you can handle that one?'_

Anton simply smiled. Ruebene smirked and clapped his hands approvingly. _'Right, then, off you go!' _

"The Minx" was a rollicking song made for rollicking activities. Kakkhan found that he was not the only one enjoying the bouncy beats: Gikuko and Ilowe nearly upended the table with their wildly waving arms and stamping feet; Tenna had vacated the booth entirely. Grinning, Kakkhan nudged Hodaia (still and incommunicative as ever) over.

'_All right Tenna, show me what you can do,'_ he challenged his friend. Tenna smirked and promptly bumped him with her hip. Kakkhan rolled his eyes and grabbed her hands.

'_None of that nasty stuff that you do with Anton,'_ he told her warningly. _'That's more information than I want to know.' _

'_Like I'd do them with _you_,' _Tenna retorted. _'You're too much of a brother to me.' _

'_Good,'_ he emphasized. _'Too many females wanted to do more than that with me on Earth.' _

He spun her out and reeled her back in. Tenna ducked under his arm and twirled, catching Kakkhan's hand at the pivotal moment. Their other hands found each other and gripped tightly as their owners spun round and round in ever-faster circles. Eventually they broke apart and almost fell, laughing, as the song finally ended.

'_Whew!'_ Tenna breathed, smiling hugely. Kakkhan smirked at her, breathing as hard as she, and held out a hand. The Dragon Lady squeezed it, the gesture welcoming him home to the Demon Dimension as nothing else had.

'_I've missed you,'_ Tenna whispered, a teary smile spreading across her face, underneath the roar of the crowd. _'It hasn't been the same.'_

'_I know,'_ Kakkhan assured her. _'It's good—no, great—to be back.'_

'_The last song for this awesome singer is one of his choice,'_ Ruebene's voice boomed. _'Whatever it is, be sure to enjoy it, for Anton won't be singing anymore for the rest of this week!'_

The Vampire turned to Anton. _'Very well, Anton, it's yours from here on out. State the name of the song, where it's from, and why it's important to you.' _He bounded away.

'_All right. My last song is "Propinquity" by the band of the same name, and it's dedicated to my girlfriend, Tenna.' _

Kakkhan turned to Tenna only to see her threading through the crowd, her hand over her mouth, her eyes overflowing. Shaking his head and smiling, he looked around to see who was left.

He knew what he wanted to do then. Walking over to the booth, Kakkhan leaned against the headrest of the booth and asked, _'Care to dance?' _Gikuko looked up, blinked, then smiled slowly. _'Sure,' _she responded, looking shy. Kakkhan pushed off from the headrest and reached out a hand.

Gikuko ducked her head then, but she accepted his hand willingly. They braved the dangers of the dancing throng together until they found a suitable spot, then turned towards each other.

When Gikuko linked her arms around his neck and he rested his hands on her waist, it seemed like the most natural position in the world. Encouraged by this, he tentatively drew Gikuko closer, only to discover that she was more than happy to close the distance between them.

He sighed as her head came to rest on his shoulder and her arms dropped to encircle his own waist. Smiling slightly, he laid his chin on top of her hair and breathed in its wildflower scent deeply.

A strange sense of déjà vu—or not déjà vu, but memory—enveloped him them. Familiar feelings of contentment, relaxation, and yes, even peace, rose to the surface, with the additional sensation that he'd felt them before—in the presence of the same woman he was now embracing.

Gikuko could not ever remember a time when she'd felt like this. A multitude of emotions swirled into and through her, leaving her both exhilarated and wondering. When had dancing with a man ever been so peaceful before? When had she felt comforted, content, happy even, like she did now with Kakkhan-kun? She barely knew him, was almost certain she'd never met him before, but she felt so _safe—_

She raised her eyes and almost stopped breathing at the expression she met. Unthinkingly, she leaned forward and up just as Kakkhan leaned down—

She had had no idea that kisses could explode like that. Though it was gentle and undemanding, the touch of Kakkhan's mouth to hers sent electricity down her nerves, setting her whole body on fire and erasing all ability to think from her brain. She only knew in the moment that she had met her match, and by all the Gods that existed, she'd be damned if she was letting him go.

When they broke apart, Gikuko could hardly breathe. Such were the intensity of her feelings that tears welled up in her eyes—she knew that she had had something like this once, but it had been taken away from her. But she'd found it again; against all odds, she'd found it, when she hadn't even known it was gone.

'_I love you,'_ she sobbed into the closing lines of the song. She lifted her damp eyes once again and smiled at the object of their gaze. _'I love you,'_ she repeated, kissing him lightly, _'And I feel like I have for a long time.' _

'_Giku,'_ Kakkhan breathed into her hair (for she had hidden her face into his neck again). _'Don't cry, dear heart. I love you too. I don't know how I ever managed to live without you.' _

She smiled then and tightened her grip on him. She would never let him go again.

:-:-:-:

'_I'm taking Giku home,'_ Kakkhan told the mistily-smiling Tenna minutes later. The year-old Dragon Lady immediately snapped to attention, just in time to catch, _'We have a lot to talk about.' _

'_You know, then?'_ she asked, watching him carefully. Kakkhan said, _'A little bit. But it's enough to know that I love her.' _

A smile broke out on Tenna's face like the sun does after the clouds finally stop bothering it. She nodded. _'Be careful, you two. Even now you could get hurt.' _

'_Hm, I think we'll be okay.'_ He smiled. _'We made it through this, didn't we?'_

'_Yes, you did,'_ Tenna agreed. Kakkhan turned then and walked over to Gikuko, who looked so different, so painfully happy, that Tenna had to look away—

It didn't take very long for Gikuko to give Kakkhan a tour of the condominium, to convince him to stay for tea, and then for longer than that. They only paused in their making out when the tea kettle whistled sharply, and then only long enough to turn it and the stove off. The first floor bedroom belonging to one Watanabe Gikuko, formerly Watanabe Catherine, opened and closed a minute later—

:-:-:-:

_He was dreaming, and yet he was not. Asleep he was, yes, but also somehow within his own mind, which usually took the deeper trance of meditation to achieve. Yet he was watching the holes fill up in the spaceship representation of his mind, slowly building up with particles that floated up from the floor. As each hole sealed shut, he remembered what had been missing for the year and day he'd spent on Earth. _

_It made him angry that they'd taken Gikuko away. He didn't know who "they" were yet, but they had no right to take his mate out of his memories like that, even if it was to help him heal. Was it worth being separated from each other and feeling empty like he had, just to heal them both physically and somewhat mentally? The Healers—that was who "they" were—had completely forgotten about their souls, as usual—_

_The anger drained way when the memory returned of Tenna explaining the Healer's reasoning to the rest of the sextet (or quartet, without him and Gikuko) for their particular plan of treatment. Aura-mingling was dangerous, and while he didn't think he'd mind being unable to live without Gikuko, there were more than a few disadvantages to the situation. _

_They far outweighed the advantages. _

_He was going to die with Gikuko anyway, he was certain. He knew this as surely as he'd known he was going to die in that dream of his, when he'd cut down his soulless self in three strokes. And he had, hadn't he, only the Light had given him back with Lotto to obstruct Death's door until the Healers could stabilize him. _

_Kakkhan supposed he owed the Eternal Deity for that. _

_He grimaced._

_The last hole in his mind-spaceship hull had just closed when there was a thunderous knocking on it. Kakkhan turned in the direction of the knocking—or not knocking, but footsteps now—and smiled. Placing his hands in his pockets, he strolled towards the figure that had just appeared; said figure stopped upon seeing him, then increased her steps until she was running towards him. _

"_There you are!" she cried, her voice echoing strangely in the spaceship-image of his mind. He smiled at her and held out a hand, which he used to pull her into a tight hug when she took it. _

"_You've found me," he told her, Knowing she'd remember the words. "You've finally found me." _

_Gikuko didn't react for a second, then light shone from her face. "That dream," she said wonderingly. "From the first time we met. You said—"_

"'_Find me,'" Kakkhan repeated, nodding. "And you have. Better yet, I've found myself." He gestured to the empty halls of the _Tiara_ as they shaped his mind. "There's no darkness here, or a greedy Eternal Deity as a core, only myself and all that means." _

_Gikuko had a myriad of emotions on her face, one of the things he loved about her. "This is how your mind really is, isn't it?" she asked. "Like how the meadow in my mind is the true image, not the glen that it was when I had the glamour on." _

"_Yep. Of course, when I said 'Find me,' I didn't mean it like this, but I'm glad anyway. I'm even gladder that it was you." _

_Gikuko blushed and lightly swatted him on the shoulder, but smilingly accepted the compliment anyway. A quiet moment ensued, and then his lips met hers in a kiss that seared a flash of light through his eyelids— _

_Dazzled, it took Kakkhan a bit of time to clear his vision, but then he and Gikuko were attracted to the sight of a hexagonal opening just to the right. The entrance opened out onto a meadow of wildflowers, with a giant tree a fair distance away and an abstract creature bounding playfully towards them. _

"_That's my mind," Gikuko gasped to Kakkhan. "Do you think...?"_

"_That our minds are now connected? Yeah, I think so. Our bond is reforming." Kakkhan bear-hugged Gikuko from behind and put his head atop hers. "It's going to be a normal one this time, with all the drama, worry, and fighting that goes with it." _

"_Not really. This time we know what we're going through," Gikuko pointed out. She twisted in Kakkhan's embrace enough to look him full in the face. "Don't you dare hide your feelings for me so you don't hurt me this time, you hear? _I _won't, and I won't let you stop me." _

_Kakkhan laughed. "I look forward to it, dear heart," he told her. She smirked, smug, then yelped as Kakkhan picked her up. "I have a serious question for you," he informed her once they were settled again, her arms around his neck, his on her back and under her knees. _

"_Like this?" she questioned, raising her eyebrows in false surprise. _

"_Yes, like this," he responded gravely. "My question is: Would you like to meet my family, or would you rather stay in the Demon Dimension and forget them?" _

"_I'd love to meet the Z-senshi!" Gikuko cried. She was astonished and pleased and a million other inadequate adjectives synonymous with "stunned", that Kakkhan would ask her this. "And of course, I simply must meet the Blue Star Gang," she insisted. _

"_Of course. They're my family, too." Kakkhan smiled at Gikuko's patent happiness. It was his turn to be surprised when Gikuko told him, "As long as you meet mine." _

"_Really?" he asked before he could stop himself. Gikuko nodded, watching him carefully. "All my family," she added. "Uno, Noboru, my father, Ruriko, even my mother, Mitsuru." _

_She laughed when Kakkhan could only stutter. "Oh, Kakkhan, I love you," she said fondly, bending forward and lightly kissing him. All Kakkhan could do out of the daze one Yamaguchi-Watanabe Gikuko Catherine Akemi had put him in was say—_

"_I love you, too." _

:-:-:-:

**FINITE**

KAKKHAN: SAIYAN DIMENSION KEEPER

AND

THE KAKKHAN TRILOGY

:-:-:-:

A/n: ...What can I say, after all of this effort?

Thank you, **Lov3the3vil**, **lpgohanfanatic**, and **supersaiyaman**, for reviewing all those chapters. Thank you, **lpgohanfanatic **and **nevtanis** for putting this story on your favorites and/or story alert list. Heck, while I'm at it, thanks to those who reviewed Kakkhan: Giendonese Saiyan Warrior:

**simba-rulz**, **Nooka**, **Hiaburi**, **Trunks' Brat Baby**, **subway saiyan**, **Rarity88**, **Skye-chan1**, **DemonVi**, **Gohan's Kat**, **DemonDancing**, **ShadowObscurity**, **SS2 Megami-sama**, **DBZ Chick1**, **Romo**, **crazy-lil-nae-nae**, **Shea Loner**, **SSJ5 Tigger**, and **Feral-beast**. To **HBKShowstoppa**, **Ryu no Hono**, **wizardmon92**, **PROVIEW**, **BlackFireDragonK**, **supersaiyaman**, **TigerTiger02**, **Andross937**, **fire**,** ash**, and **blue-dove7**, **me**, and **Frying Pan of DOOM (and Sachi)**. To **Kail Blade**, **Gohan00**, **bobbi**, **Kia-Kawaii princess**, **Noco**, **mystic**, **unknown soldieress**, **j**, **Riku11**, **Nisaasd**, **lonely warrior**, **ChibiGyouza**, **Alexis**, and **verve**.

Thanks to those who reviewed Kakkhan: Immortal Saiyan Z-fighter:

**Lov3the3vil**,** lpgohanfanatic**,** cooldude39**,** Keltic Cat**,** wizardmon92**,** Shinigami**,** Hiaburi**,** Exiled Rain **&** ShadowObscurity**,** Lucy Wood**,** dfd**,** THe new Kitty on the Block**,** Here kitty, kitty, kitty**,** saiyan child**,** supersas**,** supersaiyaman**,** Fairy of Speed**,** Salazarfalcon**,** Gohan's One**,** saiyaman**,** Sakurako Minase**, and **kate**.

I most sincerely hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it.

Also, before I forget to mention this, I have a Yahoo! group for my DBZ fanfiction up. I'm still working on backing up a lot of my stories on it, but most of Kakkhan III is on it. If you want to join, it's now under my homepage link on my bio, so feel free to click on it and help out!

Oh, and if you want to read the lyrics I have for the song Propinquity for the band of the same name (yes, the song and band are MINE), just shoot me a PM or a message on the group and I'll fix it up for you. :D

There's nothing else on my part, and Allati looks like she's about to melt into a puddle from the fountains of tears her eyes have become (Allati wails), so I guess we'll cut off here. Thanks again, and we'll see you next time, whenever that is.

Sayonara,

**TheShadowPanther** and Allati, from **AASN**

**AASN; **Writing is what we do for you at **AASN**. Enjoy.

_Updated 08.22.08_

(Happy one-year anniversary, **Kakkhan III**! (Sob) It was awesome knowing you!! (Sobsob))


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